Falcoholinks: All the Falcons news you need for Friday, May 7

Lots o’ links on a Friday for you. Dive on in, Falcoholics.

Falcons decline fifth-year option on Hayden Hurst, pick up Calvin Ridley’s

Hayden Hurst was brought in courtesy of a second-round pick sent to the Baltimore Ravens in 2020, and now the Falcons have declined to preemptively pick up the fifth-year option on his rookie contract. That’s quite the draft capital price tag for a guy who is looking like he may not be on the squad beyond the coming season.

On the flip side of that coin, the team (of course) exercised the fifth-year option on wide receiver Calvin Ridley’s rookie deal.

So what does that mean for each player?

A battle at left guard

The left guard spot is one of the glaring holes on Atlanta’s roster, and the battle to helm the position could include Matt Gono, recent draftees Jalen Mayfield and Drew Dalman, and free agent addition Josh Andrews.

Draftee scouting reports

Scouting reports? We got ‘em. Check out our Everett Glaze’s latest on new offensive lineman Jalen Mayfield, as well as Eric Robinson’s read on sixth-round rookie wideout Frank Darby.

Pay ‘em

In his latest piece, The Falcoholic’s Matt Chambers makes the point that the new regime should guarantee contracts for players who pick up injuries working out at home in the offseason — a practice that has become more frequent due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

UDFA roundup

The Falcons announced that they had signed 20 undrafted free agents after the draft, and as the team has a few positions that still need to be addressed, they’ll get their shot to show they should make the squad.

One of whom is recent UDFA signee Ryan Neuzil out of Appalachian State, who discussed the pre-draft and signing process with The Falcoholic.

Matt Ryan Content

The new regime of Arthur Smith and Terry Fontenot placed a reasonable wager on franchise quarterback Matt Ryan by eschewing the selection of Justin Fields and instead opting to take tight end Kyle Pitts in the 2021 NFL Draft. Only 10 QBs have played more games for a single team than Ryan — but do you think it was a wise move?

Mina Kimes Content

ESPN’s Mina Kimes is a steadfast defender of Matt Ryan, and she joined The Falcoholic Podcast’s Jeanna Kelley and David Walker to talk Atlanta’s quarterback situation, the selection of tight end Kyle Pitts, and why Younghoe Koo is “obviously” the best player in the NFL right now. Ah, and Dave Choate was there, too.