1. Rondale Moore
When the Falcons traded for Moore, the move was expected to land the Falcons their third receiver and close the book on Ridder. The quarterback would be unable to stick with Arizona becoming a roster cut and landing with the team's practice squad. It was this move that allowed a desperate Raiders team to steal Ridder when they were dealing with multiple quarterback injuries.
Moore wouldn't make it into the season with his new team either suffering a season-ending injury. This allowed Ray-Ray McCloud to put together a breakout season few saw coming. It was a solid receiver group for the Falcons and the loss of Moore was overcome.
Still, the Falcons should re-sign the speedy receiver for the 2025 season. So much of what Penix does well is going to be helped by speed and an ability to find the holes in the defense. If you have the speed of Mooney, Moore, or McCloud it is a huge asset to the offense. For this reason, the Falcons shouldn't hesitate to bring back the receiver as the fourth option. It would be a cheap signing considering Moore's resume and the lack of recent snaps. A cheap move with a high upside there isn't a reason not to make the decision.
2. Storm Norton
Twice the swing tackle has been forced into action for an injured Kaleb McGary. Both times Norton was up to the task and didn't show any obvious regression. If anything, the tackle lacked the moments McGary seems to forget to do anything but helplessly block the air in front of him. Norton is great depth and given every reason to believe he can be a productive option if injury were to strike.
Atlanta does have some concerns along the offensive line with Drew Dalman hitting free agency and Jake Matthews aging. Having the stability of a reliable backup is incredibly important.
Re-signing Storm Norton isn't a splashy or costly move but an important one. Jake Matthews is aging and Kaleb McGary is a consistent question mark. Having the stability Norton brings gives your offense much improved depth and allows the team to remain focused on fixing the center position.
Atlanta should be able to retain their important backup pieces with all of their offensive starters except Dalman set to return. This level of offensive stability sets up Penix well and should allow the majority of the team's focus to remain on rebuilding the defense.
3. Jase McClellan
Atlanta's third option at running back finished the year with 32-yards in garbage time carries. His average yards per carry aren't fair to measure when you consider the situations Jase was put into. The back was only in the game when it was already decided and it was clear what the offense was going to do.
This is Tyler Allgeier's final year in Atlanta when you look at what is ahead for the Falcons. You cannot afford to let Bijan Robinson walk away and Allgeier has more than earned a chance to be the lone back. Atlanta can either run it back one final year with the duo or look to trade Allgeier this offseason to help rebuild the defense. This could leave Jase as the potential backup for the 2025 season.
We've seen that this offensive line needs very little talent behind them to create positive plays. McClellan is the style of runner that could work well as a change of pace back alongside Robinson. Whether or not Allgeier returns for the 2025 season it makes sense to give the back a slightly larger role. Evaluating whether or not he could become a piece of the team's future.
