Getty Atlanta Falcons running back Qadree Ollison
A solid run game in Atlanta? “Never heard of her.”
It’s been quite some time since the Atlanta Falcons have had a strong, widely recognized run game, but that should change in 2022.
Head coach Arthur Smith joined the Falcons last year with an impressive run-game resume from his time with the Titans and it’s no secret that he’s trying to work that same magic in Atlanta.
Smith has added players to the Falcons’ backfield with a similar build to his weapon at Tennessee: 247-pound back Derrick Henry.
While none exactly amass to 247 pounds, they come close.
Qadree Ollison weighs in as the heaviest at 237 pounds, followed by Caleb Huntley (229), Cordarrelle Patterson (227), Damien Williams (225) and Tyler Allgeier (224). The Falcons also have Avery Williams in the backfield, who’s the odd man out at 195 pounds.
“Even when [Arthur Smith] came here, that’s the identity that he wanted to bring to Atlanta,” Ollison said, via the team’s official website. “CP is a big back, but he can catch out the backfield. I’m a bigger back and feel like I can do everything as well. We’re all versatile and that’s what makes it a really good room.”
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Ollison is High on Himself & RB Room
The Falcons used a fifth-round pick on Ollison in the 2019 NFL Draft. Since then, the Pittsburgh product has spent the last three years as a backup running back. While he has shown some flashes of talent, he has not been consistent enough to make his way up the depth chart.
After spending a majority of the 2021 season on the practice squad, Ollison was bumped to the active roster during the second half of the season. Through eight games last year, Ollison ran for 105 yards on 21 carries and one touchdown.
He now enters his fourth season with a lot more confidence in himself and his backfield teammates.
“I feel like I can do everything,” said Ollison. “We are all versatile. That’s what makes it a really good running back group.”
Falcons’ lead and oldest veteran back, Cordarrelle Patterson, can also vouch for his teammates.
“They’ve been working all year, man. Coming back in better shape and seeing how hard they’ve worked the whole offseason,” Patterson said. “It feels great to see those guys working.”
Ollison’s Goal for 2022
Aside from gaining that extra boost of confidence, Ollison has been hard at work this offseason making some personal improvements.
“Having that short-area quickness and burst,” Ollison said. “I’ve always been a bigger, stronger guy, and having that quickness to add to that is something that I’ve worked on for sure.”
With the addition of 2022 fifth-round pick Tyler Allgeier, Ollison will have to continue working hard to make the final roster.
But he’s not making his main goal heading into the season about winning a camp competition. Instead, his No. 1 goal is team-oriented.
“Help this team win any way I can,” Ollison said. “Help this team win every single week and be a part of something special.”
And that starts with a successful run game.
“We need all 11 in the run game,” Ollison said. “That’s something that we are preaching in the offensive room. If you’ve got all 11: receivers, tight ends, backs and obviously the offensive line and even the quarterbacks now, that’s really what it is, everybody doing their job every single day.”
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