Falcons insider fears Desmond Ridder could be doomed by O-Line (EXCLUSIVE)
Desmond Ridder will be the Atlanta Falcons' starting quarterback for the 2023 season. The team drafted the quarterback in the third round of last year's NFL draft and he saw limited action in his rookie season, starting the last four games.
Falcons insider Darryl Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution spoke on Sportskeeda's "BallFather Podcast." Ledbetter expressed concern that Ridder's sophomore season could be in jeopardy with the current offensive line:
"So they got weapons, they got run blocking line, they got a young quarterback that we don't know if he can get the people the ball on a regular basis and we got an O-Line that we don't know if that could protect the kid.
“They salvaged this line that had done a poor job of pass blocking for Matt Ryan and, you know, they just turned it into a run blocker. We still don't know if they can protect, but they're not really trying to throw so. So you know, they got to run the ball… "
The Atlanta Falcons addressed the offensive line in this year's draft to help Desmond Ridder. They selected offensive tackle Matthew Bergeron in the second round.
Atlanta allowed 37 sacks last season, ranking them in the top half of the fewest allowed.
Darryl Ledbetter on Desmond Ridder throwing behind the Falcons' offensive line this season
In the same interview, Ledbetter added that Desmond Ridder will need to throw the ball to players like Kyle Pitts and Drake London this season:
"They got a quarterback Desmond Ridder, their third round pick. And he'll have to drop back and throw it at some point. But if he's thrown off the running game, they're not going to, you know, ask him to drop back 30-40 times a game like the Falcons did with Matt Ryan.
"He's going to hand the ball off and he's going to have to distribute it to those weapons that they've amassed in the last three drafts. And Drake London, Bijan Robinson this year, and then Kyle Pitts has got to come back and have a big year after a down year in his second season in the league."
Todd McShay on Bijan Robinson to the #Falcons:
“I just love the fit, positional value aside. He is my No. 2 prospect in this class and brings a whole new element to the Falcons’ offense with his power, pass-game traits and contact balance. He’s one of the best running backs… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… https://t.co/QOAA3IHLpB
Pitts played just 10 games for the Falcons last season due to injuries to his knee and hamstring. London led the team in receiving yards (866) and receptions (72), while tied for the most touchdowns (four).
The Falcons drafted running back Bijan Robinson to take more pressure off of Desmond Ridder due to Robinson's versatility.
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