:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66979427/1214835860.jpg.0.jpg)
We’re nearly through another week of the offseason dead period! We’ve got more Falcons news and narratives in today’s Falcoholinks, so get your day started the right way and read on.
Over/Under
Our David Walker put on his gamblin’ hat recently, launching his ‘Falcons Under/Over’ offseason series. Yesterday’s question: Will Calvin Ridley tally over or under 1,000 yards receiving?
Ridley is entering his third season in the NFL, and while he’s been a productive second wide receiver in Atlanta’s offense, he’s also picked up a few injuries along the way that have kept him off the field. If Ridley is to eclipse the 1,000 yard mark — and he certainly has the talent to do it — it’s going to mean he’s healthy for all 16 games.
Top-5 countdown
Continuing with the offseason series theme, The Falcoholic’s Adnan Ikic just dropped the latest entrant in the most important offensive players of 2020 list. Landing at No. 4 is Atlanta’s new running back, Todd Gurley, who has a lot to prove — but has shown he can be extremely dynamic in the backfield when healthy.
Fans in the stands? It might be based on location
Many states are currently experiencing rising numbers of coronavirus infections, and many of those states are also home to NFL teams hoping to keep the upcoming season as normal as possible. Packed stadiums seems like an absolute nonstarter for the coming year, but a report from The Athletic indicates that the league is looking to offload the question of fans in the seats to the health guidelines of the locales where the games are to be played.
That presents an obviously uneven situation, with potentially fans in certain venues where cases have dwindled, and empty seats in others.
Good Guy Arthur Blank
Arthur Blank is well-regarded for his philanthropic endeavors, and he continues his good work by donating the personal proceeds from his upcoming memoirs Good Company to The National Center for Civil and Human Rights. He’s even kicked in $300K as an initial contribution, to boot.