ATLANTA FALCONS NEWS

Feleipe Franks - Draws two targets in 2022 Franks didn't haul in either of his two targets across 11 appearances during the 2022 campaign.

Impact Franks began working as a tight end last offseason and was reportedly impressive during training camp at his new position. However, he ultimately failed to carve out a solid role, even with Kyle Pitts (knee) sidelined to end the year. Franks saw more than five offensive snaps on one occasion this season (Week 5 against Tampa Bay) and failed to haul in either of his targets across 27 snaps during that contest. He's under contract for one more year, and a full offseason will presumably be beneficial for his development at tight end, though he likely has a long way to go before earning a consistent offensive role.

JANUARY 11, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Parker Hesse - Minor role in passing attack Hesse caught nine of 11 targets for 89 yards across 17 appearances during the 2022 campaign.

Impact Hesse operated as the Falcons' No. 1 tight end, even when Kyle Pitts (knee) was healthy, but the former was nearly exclusively utilized as a blocker. The undrafted product out of Iowa will be a free agent this offseason, but given how many offensive snaps (619) he played in 2022, Hesse figures to be a likely candidate to re-sign with Atlanta this offseason.

JANUARY 11, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Anthony Firkser - Minimal role in 2022 Firkser caught nine of 13 targets for 100 yards across 11 appearances during the 2022 campaign.

Impact Firkser caught just three of four targets for 39 yards over the first five games of the season before being a healthy inactive from Weeks 6 through 11. After Kyle Pitts (knee) was placed on injured reserve, Firkser's role began to grow, but he still mustered just six receptions on nine targets for 61 yards over Atlanta's final six contests. It was the fifth-year tight end's worst statistical season of his career, and he'll presumably look to move on during free agency this offseason.

JANUARY 11, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

MyCole Pruitt - Career-high year in receiving Pruitt caught 16 of 21 targets for 150 yards and four scores across 13 appearances during the 2022 campaign.

Impact Pruitt signed with Atlanta's practice squad after failing to make the initial 53-man roster. However, following Kyle Pitts' knee injury in Week 11, Pruitt stepped up and made the most of his increased opportunity. He caught 12 of 17 targets for 119 yards and three touchdowns over the final six games of the season and ended the campaign with career highs in receptions, targets, receiving yards and touchdowns. The veteran tight end will be a free agent this offseason, but a return to Atlanta could be in the cards given his solid production and head coach Arthur Smith's proclivity for utilizing tight ends.

JANUARY 11, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

KhaDarel Hodge - Career-high 202 yards in 2022 Hodge caught 13 of 20 targets for 202 yards and a touchdown across 17 appearances during the 2022 campaign.

Impact Hodge caught five of six targets for 95 yards over the first two games of the season, but he failed to provide consistent production the rest of the way. He was held without a catch 10 times across his next 15 appearances and caught just one pass over the final six games of the campaign, four of which came with Desmond Ridder at the helm. Nonetheless, Hodge still posted a career-high 202 receiving yards during the campaign and may have interest in re-signing with Atlanta in free agency this offseason, though the Falcons may elect to completely overhaul their wideout corps behind Drake London.

JANUARY 11, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Damiere Byrd - Scores two touchdowns in 2022 Byrd caught 13 of 23 targets for 268 yards and two touchdowns across 14 appearances during the 2022 campaign.

Impact From Weeks 7 through 11, Byrd caught nine of 14 targets for 229 yards and two touchdowns, displaying major big-play ability. However, he saw two or fewer targets in his other nine appearances and was held without a catch in five of those games. The veteran wideout has played for five different teams in as many campaigns and will be a free agent again this offseason.

JANUARY 11, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Avery Williams - Modest results as RB Williams finished the 2022 campaign with 22 rushing attempts for 109 yards and a touchdown across 17 appearances. He also caught 13 of 14 targets for 61 yards and complied 605 retu...

Impact Williams was drafted by the Falcons in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft as a defensive back and return man, but the Boise State product was converted to running back ahead of the 2022 campaign. With Damien Williams out of the picture after Week 1 due to a rib injury, Williams quickly worked his way up the running back depth chart and saw a decent role during the campaign given his circumstances. However, Tyler Allgeier and Cordarrelle Patterson dominated the backfield work, which left limited opportunities for Williams and Caleb Huntley. Williams has two years remaining on his rookie contract and figures to have a solid shot at a roster spot next year due to his return abilities, but he'll also have a chance to carve out a larger offensive role following a full offseason at his new position.

JANUARY 11, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

2023 NFL Draft needs: How each team in top 10 could approach their pick

What do the 10 teams picking highest in the NFL draft need? We go through teams from the Bears and Texans to the Panthers and Colts, examini...

JANUARY 11, 2023

NFLPA unveils first-ever Players' All-Pro team; who did players choose?

The NFLPA has revealed its first-ever Players' All-Pro team, a list voted on exclusively by NFL players. Check out the full team here!

JANUARY 11, 2023

Younghoe Koo - Perfect in Week 18 win Koo went 3-for-3 on field-goal attempts and 3-for-3 on point-after tries during Sunday's 30-17 win versus the Buccaneers.

Impact Koo gave the Falcons a 10-7 lead at the end of the first quarter with a 49-yard field goal and added a 24-yard chip shot in the third to cut Tampa Bay's lead to 17-13. The kicker ended the campaign by connecting on a 51-yard attempt that extended Atlanta's lead to 30-17 late in the fourth quarter. After a shaky start to the campaign, Koo turned it around and made 16 of his final 17 field-goal attempts, with his lone miss coming from beyond 50 yards. He also made all 11 of his PATs during that stretch (seven games). Koo signed a five-year extension in March of 2022 and has more than solidified himself as a consistent and effective kicker over his past four seasons in Atlanta.

JANUARY 10, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Olamide Zaccheaus - Heavily involved in Week 18 Zaccheaus totaled four receptions on seven targets for 37 yards and one touchdown during Sunday's 30-17 win versus the Buccaneers.

Impact Zaccheaus caught his first touchdown since Week 5 and saw at least seven targets for the just the third time during the campaign, with two of those instances coming with Desmond Ridder at the helm. However, overall, the wideout struggled in four games with the rookie at quarterback, totaling just eight receptions on 17 targets for 55 yards compared to 32 receptions for 478 yards across 13 games with Marcus Mariota as the starter. Over the past two seasons, Zaccheaus has caught 71 of 114 targets for 939 yards and six touchdowns, and he'll likely test the free agent market this offseason after his one-year deal expired, though a return to Atlanta hasn't been ruled out yet.

JANUARY 10, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Cordarrelle Patterson - Scores touchdown in Week 18 Patterson rushed five times for 18 yards and a touchdown during Sunday's 30-17 win over Tampa Bay. He also caught two of three targets for one yard.

Impact Patterson took a back seat to Tyler Allgeier during the Falcons' season finale, but the veteran salvaged his Week 18 production by recording Atlanta's lone rushing touchdown during the win. After totaling 122 rushing attempts for 619 yards and six touchdowns over his first 10 appearances, Patterson saw just 22 rushes for 77 yards over the final three games of the season, though he did record two touchdowns during that stretch. He ultimately finished with career highs in rushing yards (695) and rushing touchdowns (eight), but he saw a significant regression in his passing-game production, as he caught just 21 passes for 122 yards after registering 52 receptions and 548 yards a year ago. Overall Patterson's season wasn't disappointing, but there were certainly signs that his prolific 2021 campaign was an outlier compared to his normal production. His cap hit for 2023 is $5.5 million, which is a sizable contract and suggests he'll have a solid role next year, but after Allgeier's impressive rookie campaign, Patterson may be relegated to backup duties moving forward.

JANUARY 10, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

NFL mock draft: Alabama players go 1-2 as non-playoff order is set

FOX Sports' David Helman and Carmen Vitali drop their first post-regular-season mock draft as the order of the first 18 picks has been set....

JANUARY 10, 2023

Clint Ratkovich - Getting long-term chance with ATL The Falcons signed Ratkovich to a reserve/future contract Monday.

Impact Ratkovich suffered a torn ACL during a pre-draft workout with the Packers in April. The fullback out of Northern Illinois then went undrafted and did not land his first contract until signing with the Falcons' practice squad Dec. 27. Ratkovich will now get a chance to build on this brief stint while possibly competing with Keith Smith for a starting role this offseason.

JANUARY 10, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

John Raine - Extended reserve/future deal Raine signed a reserve/future contract with the Falcons on Monday.

Impact Raine initially joined Atlanta in May 2021 as an undrafted free out of Northwestern, and he was extended a similar future/reserve contract at the end of the 2021 campaign. The 24-year-old spent much of the 2022 season unsigned after being waived from IR with an undisclosed injury in September. Raine then finished the season with the Falcons after he was signed to the practice squad Nov. 21. He'll now look to make his NFL debut in 2023.

JANUARY 10, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Ra'Shaun Henry - Sticking with Falcons Henry signed a reserve/future contract with Atlanta on Monday.

Impact Henry was cut from the Panthers' practice squad Sept. 5 and went unsigned before joining up with Atlanta on Sept. 11. The undrafted rookie then finished the year on the Falcons' practice squad, though he apparently made enough of an impression to earn a chance at a roster spot this offseason. Henry has yet to make his NFL debut.

JANUARY 10, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

BJ Baylor - Gets new contract from Falcons Atlanta signed Baylor to a reserve/future contract Monday.

Impact Baylor signed with the Packers in May of 2022 as an undrafted free agent out of Oregon State, but he was waived in mid-August. The running back then went unsigned before joining the Falcons' practice squad Sept. 15. Baylor recorded 227 carries for 1,337 yards and 13 touchdowns during his final collegiate season, and he'll look to carve out a roster spot as a potential backup behind Avery Williams, Tyler Allgeier and Cordarrelle Patterson this offseason.

JANUARY 10, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Tucker Fisk - Sticking with ATL this offseason The Falcons signed Fisk to a reserve/future contract Monday.

Impact Fisk will stick with Atlanta after being let go from the team's practice squad Dec. 27. The undrafted tight end out of Stanford spent the entire 2022 campaign on the Falcons' practice squad, and he'll now look to make his NFL debut heading into next season.

JANUARY 10, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Josh Ali - Signs new deal with Atlanta The Falcons signed Ali to a reserve/future contract Monday.

Impact Ali was elevated ahead of Sunday's regular-season finale against the Buccaneers and played seven offensive snaps with zero catches on one target. The 6-foot wideout then reverted to the team's practice squad before inking this new deal with the team heading into the offseason, per the NFL's transaction log. Ali ended his season-long stint on the Falcons' practice squad with back-to-back elevations over the final two weeks of the regular season, and he'll now compete for a spot on the active roster this offseason.

JANUARY 10, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

NFL odds: Win totals Over/Unders recap for every team

The NFL Playoffs have arrived! Here is a recap of every team's win total Over/Under for the 2022 NFL season courtesy of FOX Bet.

JANUARY 10, 2023

NFL poll: Expert picks for MVP, DPOY, Super Bowl and other awards

Which players deserve to win MVP, Defensive Player of the Year and other awards? Which teams will play in — and win — the Super Bowl? FOX Sp...

JANUARY 9, 2023

Falcons' Smith faces QB decision after another 7-10 finish

Second-year coach Arthur Smith believes this season's 7-10 finish shows much more reason for hope than last year's identical record

JANUARY 9, 2023 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Falcons defensive coordinator Pees, 73, announces retirement

Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Dean Pees has announced his retirement, one day after completing his second season with the team

JANUARY 9, 2023 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Falcons show promise, but future depends on QB Desmond Ridder's upside

With a high draft pick and a lot of cap space, the Falcons could be an NFC South contender in 2023. But do they have a franchise QB?

JANUARY 9, 2023

2022-23 NFL playoff picture: Which teams are in, AFC, NFC

Which NFL teams have clinched and which are out? Here's the full AFC and NFC playoff picture.

JANUARY 9, 2023