By: Jake Rajala

The Atlanta Falcons are truly more complex than the INFJ personality type. The Falcons brought back Cordarrelle Patterson and then traded away their beloved QB Matt Ryan. I believe the Falcons would have preferred to keep Ryan after whiffing on the Deshaun Watson trade, but they will have to steer the ship forward without their long-time QB.

The Falcons moved swiftly to replace Ryan by signing Marcus Mariota. I believe the Falcons are “slowly retooling” their squad with Mariota at QB. I don’t expect the Falcons to have a fire-sale and they should still hold their heads high in 2022. With that said, here are a few reasons why I believe they are underrated right now.

• Terrific CB tandem

I love the signing of Casey Hayward and the Falcons new-look CB group. A.J. Terrell and Hayward (who isn’t washed up) are arguably a Top 5 CB tandem and it will pay massive dividends.

The Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots really leaned on their secondaries to win their most recent Super Bowl trophies. It’s clear that a terrific CB duo can really carry a team. It’s really beneficial to the Falcons that they have a potent CB duo in the NFC South, where they play Tom Brady and the Saints offense twice a season each.

• The style of Marcus Mariota

Matt Ryan really has a higher ceiling than Marcus Mariota as a pocket passer, but it doesn’t mean he would be a significantly better fit than Mariota in the Falcons average offensive unit. Ryan clearly wasn’t a rockstar last season (3,968 passing yards, 20 passing touchdowns) in 2020.

Mariota might be able to be an upgrade over the 2021 version of Ryan, as he can help his offense slowly decompose opponents. The NFL world witnessed Josh Allen really run over defenders last season and help the Bills have the fifth time of possession. Mariota and Patterson could be a nuisance against teams like the Saints (who have really struggled against Jalen Hurts and the Eagles) and the QB-RB duo could also help their defense get more rest on the sidelines.

• The rise of Kyle Pitts

The Falcons young TE Kyle Pitts had one of the best rookie seasons for a TE in a long time. It’s clear that Pitts will look to build off a 1,000+ yard season in 2021 (second rookie TE to ever have 1,000+ yards in a season) and he should be a more popular target with Calvin Ridley officially out for the 2022 season. Pitts is only 21 years old and he will be a lethal weapon for Mariota and potentially a new QB for many years to come.

The post 3 reasons why the Falcons are very underrated appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

The San Francisco 49ers were defeated by their archnemesis in the Los Angeles Rams in the recent NFC Championship matchup. The 49ers faithful may want to sacrifice Jimmy G for not being Joe Montana, but they had other weaknesses on their team.

Their defense might feature Nick Bosa (15.5 sacks in 2021), but they don’t carry a top-notch cornerback that can match the likes of Cooper Kupp. The 2021 NFL Offensive Player of The Year had his best performance in the playoffs against the 49ers with 14 receptions, 142 yards, and 2 touchdowns.

Thr 49ers 2021 rookie CB Ambry Thomas improved throughout the season, but the Championship aimed team might look to upgrade the CB spot in the near future. Their veteran CB Jason Verrett is a free agent and it doesn’t seem like he can be relied on, as he’s played 1 game in two of the past three seasons for the 49ers. So, could the 49ers look to reel in a big-name CB in the near free agency period? Well, here are a few profiles that could impress John Lynch.

• Stephon Gilmore

I know Stephon Gilmore might be an easy, boring pick, but Gilmore has a good chance to land with the 49ers. The former 49ers Pro Bowl CB Richard Sherman sees Gilmore signing with the 49ers. I trust Sherman’s opinion more than any other player or analyst on the Gilmore situation. Forbes also recently put out a piece on why Gilmore needs to be secured by Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers.

• Casey Hayward

The idea of SF signing Casey Hayward might seem like they are latching on to another washed-up CB. Hayward isn’t the old ball-hawk he was before, but he is a quality CB and a better aging CB than Josh Norman by a country mile. If the 49ers can’t sign Gilmore, I would expect them to turn their interest to the former Chargers CB. I would be surprised if he chose the Raiders over the 49ers if Lynch offered him a modest contract.

• Richard Sherman

The 49ers could look at bringing back Sherman for a couple of different reasons. He has familiarity with the 49ers defense and he wants another Super Bowl ring. If SF isn’t aggressive for a CB early in free agency, they could potentially sign Sherman around the NFL Draft or training camp. He might not start over Thomas, but he might even be interested in being the third CB on a talented, former squad.

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