Getty The Atlanta Falcons offenses lines up against the Carolina Panthers defense.
The Atlanta Falcons most durable middleman, Alex Mack, found a new home in San Francisco last week. Now, the Falcons are on the search for his replacement, or at least some depth.
According to a report from NFL Network’s Michael Giardi, the Falcons were trying to land New England Patriots’ big man David Andrews. Andrews ultimately ended up heading back to the Pats on a new deal. Still, Atlanta remains in the market for a center, Giardi reports.
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What About Matt Hennessy?
When the Falcons looked to Temple center Mattew Hennessy in the third round of last year’s draft, it seemed as though the rookie would wind up taking over the starting anchor role once Mack left or retired.
But, with the Falcons currently looking for another big man to fill the role makes you wonder if Atlanta has any belief in Hennessey at all.
If the Falcons did land Andrews, he would have been an immediate starter no doubt. And the Falcons exploring other options around Hennessey doesn’t mean they won’t be using him next season, it just likely means they want a veteran in there to help him, especially since it’s only his second year in the league.
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What are the Other Center Options on the Open Mark?
If the Falcons are still searching for a center in free agency, well their window of options are slim.
Here are the current free agents still one the market at the center position, Kansas City Chiefs Austin Reiter, Los Angeles Rams versatile offensive lineman Austin Blythe, Dallas Cowboys center Joe Looney, and former Falcons and San Francisco 49ers guy, Ben Garland.
Of course, Looney and Garland are not as enticing as the other names, but if the Falcons want to add an experienced guy to the roster, they might not be too bad.
The Falcons other option? They will look to the 2021 NFL Draft.
The Falcons currently hold nine draft picks and if they end up trading back that number could go up. That being said, the Falcons can afford to splurge on another center in this year’s draft since that seems to be one of their needs. They could use a pick on a standout like Alabama’s Landon Dickerson or Oklahoma’s Creed Humphrey. Humphrey has been compared to “Frankenstein.”
The Falcons have two new sheriffs in town in Arthur Smith and Terry Fontenot, so they’re hopefully going to do things a little different than from the past. For what it’s worth, they at least have standards for what they want their offensive line to look like.
“We have a certain standard we want to play,” Smith said via the Atlanta-Journal Constitution. “We’re going to play physical and with great effort. I know a lot of people say that but that will be our hallmark. We’ll adapt to the personnel we have. Always dealing with different injuries and circumstances that pop up. We’ll be adaptable and adapt to whoever’s there.”
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Falcons Eyeing a Center in Free Agency: Report