2016 Atlanta Falcons

[Jack Lambert]

The Falcons have usually been fairly consistent the last few years in terms of white starters, QB, most of the OL, and a defensive starter. This year is no exception, with Matt Ryan again heading Atlanta’s attack. Unfortunately, Ryan has regressed somewhat in the last few years, so he’ll be looking to turn it around in his 9th season out of Boston College. South Carolina alum Patrick DiMarco gets to be the human battering ram (AKA Fullback). Of course, the Falcons have no white WRs, but their two TEs should be very interesting this upcoming season. Their starter is going to be Jacob Tamme, but the future will be Stanford rookie Austin Hooper. At 6-4 248, Hooper is a HUGE target, and should provide Matt Ryan with a great target. Being from Stanford, his blocking should be pretty good as well. Jake Matthews starts on at left tackle. The son of Bruce Matthews, Jake is a stud on the blindside. Veteran Andy Levitre is the left guard, All-pro Alex Mack (who was released by the Browns) will be the center, and Ryan Schraeder, out of tiny Valdosta State, will be the right tackle. In a stunning move, all of the backup OL are white, with Tom Compton from South Dakota the swing tackle, Mike Person and Wes Schweitzer the guards, and Ben Garland the center.

Defensively, the Falcons have very little to write home about. Pass rusher Brooks Reed is a starter at DE. Paul Worrilow, the tackling machine out of Delaware, who’s made 364 stops his last three seasons, returns to man the middle. Oh wait, no he’s not, because he’ll be on the bench in favor of upside-laden talent Deion Jones from LSU. Apparently you see, the Falcons DWFs blamed their crap defense solely on Worrilow, and you know, not on the other 10 players who screwed up time after time. I’m sure Worrilow will still play a lot, but this is the caste system in action. Quite possibly the most egregious example this year.

To recap, here are the white players on the roster:

QB
Matt Ryan
Matt Schaub

FB
Patrick DiMarco

TE
Jacob Tamme
Austin Hooper

OL
Alex Mack
Ben Garland
Mike Person
Andy Levitre
Wes Schweitzer
Tom Compton
Jake Matthews
Ryan Schraeder

DL
Brooks Reed

LB
Paul Worrilow

Specialists
K Matt Bryant
P Matt Bosher
LS Josh Harris

Practice Squad
DL Joe Vellano
WR Nick Williams
QB Matt Simms

Surpringly, the Falcons come into the year with one of the whitest rosters in the league with 18 players. However, it is all concentrated in the caste approved positions of course: QB, FB, OL, TE. The demotion of Worrilow is ludicrous, so that’s a knock down in my book. However, having 8 white starters, and 18 white players overall is very hard to beat in today’s NFL.
Number of White Starters: 8
Number of White players on the 53-man roster: 18
Grade: C-

 

[Don Wassall]

From what I've read, Worrilow is still in the mix to start at MLB. The Falcons want to demote him, and the DWFs hate him despite him being far and away the team's leading tackler every year (unfortunately that's a common occurrence with White LBs just as it is with White DBs), but he continues to up his game, engaging in martial arts training in the offseason to increase his fitness and otherwise making it as difficult as possible to bench him. Worrilow is the heart of the Atlanta defense but every year he's portrayed as the weak link.

 

[Thrashen]

The Falcons and Packers are the only NFL teams that only have 1 black OL on the roster, and both are starters.

With the Packers releasing Josh Sitton (and replacing him with light-skinned black, Taylor Lane), there isn't a single NFL team that opens the season starting an all-white OL this season.

The only teams that are even starting a 4/5-white OL are the Browns, Bengals, Falcons, and Packers. The Eagles would have, but OT Lane Johnson was suspended.

 

[Vanilla_Sky]

Good write up!

WR Nick Williams is also on the team, making them a bit more tolerable!

Edit: never mind skimmed over you listing him on the PS, for some reason I thought he was on the final roster!

 

[Leonardfan]

Nick Williams made the team initially but was cut for some black retread

 

[Don Wassall]

Paul Worrilow was firmly attached to the bench Week 1. Just now found this article -- gee, there's that "inexplicable" pattern again of White guys not having ability and being hated by the fans.

Atlanta Falcons linebacker Paul Worrilow gets treated unfairly sometimes. When some fans criticize his ability or, more specifically, a lack thereof, I can't help but sympathize. That sort of criticism really amounts to an unfair knock on Worrilow, given that he's a former UDFA who has far exceeded expectations. In short, it's not his fault the Falcons have been exceptionally thin at linebacker in recent years.

In many ways Worrilow's situation resembles that of former Falcons defensive end/linebacker Kroy Biermann. Biermann, a former fifth round pick, was overused by the Falcons coaching staff and for whatever reason, the fan base took that out on him. But Worrilow has distinguished himself with his selflessness and willingness to do basically whatever it takes to help the team.

full article: http://www.thefalcoholic.com/2016/8...ns-linebacker-paul-worrilow-willing-to-accept

 

[celticdb15]

Open hate for the only pale faces on the black birds defense.. Pathetic. Worrilow deserves better he should have his agent ask for an immediate release/trade. No respect for the 120 tackles he's averaged since entering the league as UDFA and outperforming countless busts who were deemed to have more upside.

 

[Extra Point]

I wonder how long it will be until he's back as a starter. My guess is it's going to happen.

 

[celticdb15]

Here's what an Atlanta DWF wrote to me other day on Twitter:

"Outside of being a tackling machine,Worrilow does nothing good,he's crappy in coverage." #Falcons #Riseup JR @hiphop_247


My response: "Entire Falcons defense is sorry as hell, but sure blame Worrilow. Pass defense looked real good giving up 35pts to Tampa and Paul didn't start!"

 

[Don Wassall]

Here's what an Atlanta DWF wrote to me other day on Twitter:

"Outside of being a tackling machine,Worrilow does nothing good,he's crappy in coverage." #Falcons #Riseup JR @hiphop_247


My response: "Entire Falcons defense is sorry as hell, but sure blame Worrilow. Pass defense looked real good giving up 35pts to Tampa and Paul didn't start!"

Being a tackling machine alone qualifies him to be a highly valued starter. It's like saying, other than winning 15 to 20 games each season, starting pitcher X doesn't offer much. It's rare that a middle linebacker also makes a lot of "big plays" as that's generally the realm of the outside backers.

 

[Leonardfan]

Falcons signed AJ Hawk