Welcome to The Afternoon Drive, where the sports staff of the Times Free Press will give you a dose of (random) sports-related information that will hopefully get you thinking about more than just what's for dinner. This information will be packed into an online list form each weekday, but the opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of the staff as a whole.
Today's list
With the Atlanta Falcons revamping their coaching staff with the hires of head coach Raheem Morris, offensive coordinator Zac Robinson and defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake, here is what Falcons fan Patrick MacCoon wants to see happen this offseason in April's NFL draft and through free agency.
1. Trade up to draft the Heisman
I couldn't agree more with "Money Mike" (Atlanta Braves center fielder Michael Harris II), the Falcons need to trade up from the No. 8 spot in the draft to select the most exciting player in college football. Jayden Daniels is a human highlight reel and will completely re-energize the fan base to a level we have not seen since the Michael Vick days. Daniels, aka "Mr. Smooth", reached up to 21.8 miles per hour on a touchdown run against the Florida Gators and put on a master class throwing the deep ball with an NCAA best 11.7 average yards per pass completion. Atlanta needs to start the quarterback time clock over and there is no better way to do that than getting Daniels to build the team around.
2. Go all in on elite EDGE defender
Seeing Ryan Nielsen depart to the Jaguars was not fun as he brought new life to a Falcons defense that finally had a pulse in the pass rush game with the most sacks in a season since Patrick Kerney and Rod Coleman stole souls in an 11-win 2004 season. Instead of investing $40-plus million annually on an aging Kirk Cousins, who is recovering from an achilles' injury, Atlanta should focus on getting even scarier up front. Hopefully, the Vikings prioritize the wrong things this offseason and allow an opportunity for the Dirty Birds to pay one of the best edge defenders in the game, Danielle Hunter, the lucrative contract he deserves. The Falcons saw firsthand what a veteran big man can bring to the team in Calais Campbell.
3. Draft the hometown boy
Ladd McConkey is the slot receiver the Falcons fan base deserves. The former North Murray High School superstar's route-running and seperation is exceptional. The two-time national champion would be a perfect fit to pair in Zac Robinson's passing attack that helped produce the greatest rookie wide receiver season of all-time from Puka Nacua this past year, while also sharing the field with All-Pro talent Cooper Kupp. Instead of running the ball with three different running backs all the time, Atlanta could make McConkey into a target monster for a young quarterback who could clear 60 catches with ease in his first professional season.
4. Bring Hollywood Brown to ATL
The plays Jayden Daniels would make with a receiving corps of Drake London, Ladd McConkey and ... Marquise Brown would be phenomenal. Brown has had an up-and-down career in Arizona so far and much of it has not been to his fault. His first three seasons in the league he hauled in 21 touchdowns while averaging 787 yards per season. The thought of not having to watch two tight end sets every down is a breath of fresh air and to add a guy with the nickname "Hollywood" is max entertainment.
5. Re-sign future HOFer
Terry Fontenot rebuilt the Falcons defense this past offseason as he was able to bring in All-Pro safety Jessie Bates III along with many others who made a huge impact in 2023. Perhaps the second biggest impact behind Bates was the monster play from veteran Calais Campbell. The 100-sack club member was a run-stopping force and also tied for the team lead in sacks. Hopefully, Raheem Morris' vision for the club can convince Campbell to come back and eat up front in his age 38 season. Bringing in one of the league's elite edge defenders in free agency will only allow Campbell to terrorize more.
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com.
Staff photo by Matt Hamilton / Georgia receiver Ladd McConkey has turned heads in his NFL draft preparation and could be a great pick for the Atlanta Falcons to pair with a new quarterback.