2024 Atlanta Falcons

[Carolina Speed]

The 2024 Falcons begin season with a new head coach. Raheem Morris will guide Atlanta and try to improve on their 2023, 7-10 record. Although Atlanta hasn't been white friendly, they do look to improve the number of white starters in 2024 by signing QB Kirk Cousins.
On defense, the Falcons look to start LB's Nate Landman and Kaden Ellis. Interestingly, the back ups are white as well. Troy Andersen and JD Bertrand.
Number of white starters rise from 5-6 to 7.
Total number of white players on the 53 man roster-15. Grade C-

QB-Kirk Cousins
LT-Jake Matthews
C- Drew Dalman, Ryan Neuzil
RG-Chris Lindstrom
RT-Kaleb McGary
TE-Charlie Woerner, Ross Dwelley

LB-Nate Landman, Troy Andersen
LB-Kaden Elliss, JD Bertrand

P-Bradley Pinion
LS-Liam McCullough

The Falcons get a little more tolerable to watch by aquiring QB Kirk Cousins, however there are still no other skill positions held by any white players. They do have two white TE's, Woerner and Dwelley, but they are on the second and third teams.

On defense Atlanta moves LB Nate Landman into the starting position and Troy Andersen going back to number 2 as I believe he started last season alongside Kaden Elliss. Giving Atlanta 2 white starters on defense. Not that great, but better than many teams where the entire defense is black.

Atlanta could be a team to track regularly if they had a starting white TE and another defensive starter or two.

 

[FootballDad]

By Falcons standards, they have a fair amount of white starters. But I don't really have much faith in Atlanta moving forward with Raheem in charge.

 

[Leonardfan]

By Falcons standards, they have a fair amount of white starters. But I don't really have much faith in Atlanta moving forward with Raheem in charge.

Black GM and also Arthur Blank at the helm. Overdrafted and overaged, overrated black quarterback while signing Cousins as well. I don't see this ending well. Another team following the "Any Given Sunday" script that seems to be handed out by the NFL to all front offices these days.

 

[Don Wassall]

Just to nitpick a tiny bit, Troy Andersen started last year and was playing very well until suffering a pec injury in Week 5 that ended his season. Landman replaced him and "unexpectedly" played very well. I'd describe them as co-starters but Andersen was drafted in the second round and is as athletic as any linebacker ever tested while Landman was undrafted, which gives Troy the advantage as he gets back to speed.

The Falcons website lists Andersen as the starter while OurLads has Landman. In Week One Landman played 54% of snaps while Andersen played 46%, slight advantage to Landman but that may change as the season goes along.

 

[Don Wassall]

Troy Andersen has reaggravated the knee injury he incurred back in Week 4, when he had an epic game with 17 tackles. He finally returned last week and quickly left with the reaggravation and is out for this week's contest and may end up on IR for the rest of the year.

And before his big Week 4 game Andersen was coming back from an earlier injury leading into that game. And he missed most of the 2023 season because of injury. A genuinely rare athlete whose RAS was 10.0, the highest score possible, it's a shame his career has been completely derailed through three seasons (his rookie year was mostly a racial apprenticeship).

 

[Freethinker]

It’s frustrating as he’s shown star potential when healthy but it’s always short lived. Hoping he can get back at some point, as the Falcons could win their division and he’d make watching them more fun come playoffs.

 

[Bucky]

Damn shame indeed. Pure athlete and football player.

Landman is also a tackling machine. Be nice to see them play side by side and not one or the other. Or injuries limiting them.