Atlanta Falcons Wide Receiver Expectations for 2011

Roddy White after his touchdown vs the Saints 

 In 2010, despite the Falcons going 13-3 on the season and posting great offensive numbers, their main two receivers were All-Pro receiver Roddy White and tight end Tony Gonzalez. Roddy White, despite being double teamed in many games last season, established Falcons franchise records in receiving yards and with the most receptions last season. White, the sixth year receiver from UAB, ranked 2nd in the NFL in receiving yards (1,389) and led the league with (115) receptions which earned him another Pro Bowl appearance for the NFC. Tony Gonzalez, the 13th year tight end, ranked second on the Falcons with (70) receptions, (656) receiving yards, and caught (6) touchdowns. Despite having great numbers for the Atlanta offense, in the final two losses of the season against New Orleans and Green Bay, the opposing defense played tight coverage on both of these receivers and reduced their production. Also, excluding those two players, the remainder of the Falcons receiving core which consisted of Brian Finneran, Michael Jenkins, and Harry Douglas provided a small portion of the passing offense for Atlanta last season. After the Falcons playoff loss to Green Bay, Thomas Dimitroff and the front office wanted to remain a physical offensive team; however, they wanted to add some explosive targets on the team in 2011. In the 2011 NFL Draft, the Falcons traded up 21 spots to draft Julio Jones, the rookie wide receiver from Alabama, to help their offense become balanced and provide a deep ball threat for Matt Ryan. Now, I will speak about each of the Falcons receivers and give the expectations for them in 2011.

RODDY WHITE

Roddy White's TD reception in 2009

Roddy White have emerged as one of the top receivers around the league today. In his last four seasons as a Falcons receiver, Roddy have posted four 1,000+ yard seasons for the offense and also went to the Pro Bowl for the last three seasons. White is also Matt Ryan's top target and was clutch in many late game situations for the Falcons in 2010 including scoring the game-winning touchdown against the Ravens and also making a clutch reception on 3rd and 20 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the way towards scoring  the game winning touchdown. White continues to provide mismatches for opposing defenses and with the new additions to the Falcons offense, the challenge of covering one of the top receivers in the NFL will get tougher.

EXPECTATIONS: White's numbers could decrease; however, his game changing abilities will increase
With the addition of Julio Jones, the opportunity to double cover Roddy White will be limited due to the play-making abilities of the rookie receiver. In 2011, Matt Ryan will have the option to take some chances down the field to him and this will make his ability to make big plays during the game and provide a bigger impact for the Falcons passing offense. Roddy White's numbers could decrease due to the different options that the Atlanta offense will have with Julio Jones, Harry Douglas, and Kerry Meier, which is not a bad thing for the receiving core. With explosive tools for the Atlanta offense, their opponents will have a hard time trying to figure out who Matt Ryan will throw a pass to whenever he runs the offense.


JULIO JONES:

Julio Jones after a reception against Miami

After losing to the Packers in the playoffs,one of the issues the offense showed was their inability to make quick touchdowns from any deficit and that cost them a playoff victory. During the off season, the Falcons front office spent the next few months speaking on becoming more explosive on offense and having the ability to score at a quick rate. In the NFL Draft, Atlanta took Julio Jones, the receiver from Alabama who was one of their biggest targets during his time as a member of the Crimson Tide and also won a national championship   during his time as their receiver. In 2010, Jones posted (75) receptions, (1,133) receiving yards, and (7) touchdowns for Alabama and was a huge target for their offense, in which he provided an explosive, down the field threat for one of the top offenses in the SEC. One of his flaws as a receiver was the amount of dropped passes that happened to him during his 2010 season. During training camp, some of the veterans such as Tony Gonzalez and other NFL experts, were impressed with the young receiver and stated that Jones is the "real deal" for the Falcons offense in 2011. Jones also impressed Falcons fans in the first pre-season game against the Dolphins catching two passes for (43) yards and running a end-around receiver reverse for (12) yards definitely showed Atlanta fans that this receiver could be one of the huge missing pieces for the Falcons receiving core.

EXPECTATIONS: Jones will have a good rookie season and help Atlanta become one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL
After impressing Falcons fans with his play-making abilities for the offense against Miami in the preseason opener, Jones will emerge as one of the explosive young receivers in the NFL today. Many experts are referring to him as the younger version of Randy Moss when he had a stellar season for the Vikings in 1998. Jones will give the Falcons offense and Matt Ryan an opportunity to make big plays at a quicker rate because last season, Atlanta was second to last in the NFL in passing plays of 20+ yards with (32) and ranked 22nd in the NFL with passing plays of 40+ yards with (6). This was the only flaw in the Atlanta Falcons offense in 2010. With Jones addition, this gives Matt Ryan and the offense the opportunity to open their playbook and use him for plays such as quick slants, reverses, and other offensive plays due to his speed and Jones is also able to turn a short gain of 5-10 yards into a big reception of 20-30 yards. Julio Jones will be one of the most exciting rookies to watch in the NFL in 2011.

HARRY DOUGLAS:

Harry Douglas reception in 2008

Heading into his fourth season as a Falcons receiver, the pressure is on Douglas to have a big season for the Falcons offense. Harry Douglas returned in 2010 after suffering a knee injury that sidelined him for the 2009 season; however, Douglas was not the same player that Falcons fans were excited about in his rookie season back in 2008. In 2010, Douglas posted (22) receptions, (296) receiving yards, and one touchdown. Also, Douglas dropped a lot of crucial passes that almost cost the Falcons in close game situations last season. After a full off-season of healing and preparing for the 2011 season, Harry Douglas looked good at Friday Night Lights, training camp, and during the first preseason game, where he caught a 20-yard touchdown pass with two corners defending him to give Atlanta a 17-0 lead over the Dolphins in preseason.


EXPECTATIONS: Harry Douglas will have a career year for the Falcons in 2011
Harry Douglas is fully healed and ready to make big plays for the Falcons offense and will be a huge threat as a slot receiver for the Atlanta offense. In his rookie season, Douglas provided a huge spark for the Falcons and turned small catches into big plays for the passing attack and with his speed, he can provide a mismatch for any corner backs that plays in the nickel spot against him. Like Julio Jones, Douglas possess speed and can turn a simple pass into a huge impact play in a football game. Matt Ryan will have another option to throw  to and Douglas can create big play opportunities for the offense in 2011. Expect a big and productive season from the fourth year receiver.



KERRY MEIER and ERIC WEEMS 

EXPECTATIONS:Meier and Weems will be a huge factor in the offense this season
These are two receivers who will receive a bigger role to the Falcons offense in 2011. Meier, who is entering his second season as a Falcons receiver; however, this will be his first time playing in the regular season after suffering a knee injury. Kerry Meier was a well-known receiver from Kansas who Atlanta drafted as a good option to play in the slot position. Meier is not the quickest in the core for the Falcons offense; however, he will run great routes and also make some consistent catches for Atlanta. Another great thing that Kerry Meier showed the scouts during his time at the University of Kansas is his ability to make clutch receptions and his intelligence to create plays for the offense. His intelligence will be a huge factor for Matt Ryan and the Falcons offense. Eric Weems will see his role on the Falcons offense increase in 2011 with the loss of Brian Finneran and Michael Jenkins to the free agency market. Weems, who is well known as a special teams player and a return specialist for the Falcons also is a quick receiver who can turn small catches into big receptions and provide another explosive weapon for Matt Ryan to use during the season. Also, like Julio Jones and HD, you can also run wide-receiver reverses.Atlanta can finally take the next step this season to become the explosive attack that Falcons fans are expecting this season. We are two days away from our second game against Jacksonville, until then, Falcons RISE UP!!!!