The Falcons have the oldest roster in the NFL

We are less than one week removed from the Falcons’ season opener against the Seahawks. In a perfect world, they come away with a W against a tough team, proving that an ostensibly solid off-season wasn’t a mirage. In a not so perfect world, they start 0-1, and the scapegoating begins in earnest. It’s hard to comprehend how we got here, but we did it. We actually did it. Meaningful football is officially in sight, friends.

The Falcons made some difficult decisions between Friday and Saturday, settling on their initial 53-man roster. It’s a quality group made up of veterans, up and coming players, and some intriguing developmental types. It’s easy to get excited about what this team can accomplish in 2020. But let’s be honest about one fact: This team is old.

The Falcons started off last season with the NFL’s fourth-oldest roster and started off 2018 with the NFL’s second-oldest roster, so this isn’t new territory for Atlanta. The average age of the players on the roster after the Saturday cutdown was 26.9 which on its face doesn’t seem that old. But by NFL standards, it is. In fact, the Falcons entered the 2020 season with the NFL’s oldest roster.

The Jaguars have the NFL’s youngest roster with an average age of 24.9, so it’s not like there’s a considerable gap between the oldest and youngest rosters. What’s more, age doesn’t always tell you what you really need to know, which is whether a particular player is at, above, or below replacement value. It’s worth taking note because the Falcons have had one of if not the oldest roster for the past 5 seasons. Does that mean the team is definitely headed for a wholesale rebuild in the not so distant future? No, not necessarily. But it’s a factor that will undoubtedly affect the roster’s composition going forward.

Your thoughts, Falcoholics?