Falcoholinks: All the Falcons news you need for Monday, Feb. 28

It’s NFL Combine Week, so we’re heavy on the pre-Underwear Olympics content. Read on for Falcoholinks to start your Monday.

Scouting the Combine

The 2022 NFL Combine begins this week, with workouts starting on Thursday. Atlanta has a number of roles to fill as it enters its second season under the Fontenot-Smith regime, so we’re taking a look at the different positions and who may fit the bill for the Falcons in the draft.

• EDGE
• Defensive Tackle
• Linebacker
• Cornerback
• Safety
• Quarterback
• Running back

Free-agent options

Due to their current cap situation, the Falcons are entering yet another offseason where they’re likely going to have to pursue under-the-radar players in free agency. Who may pique their interest enough to open their wallets?

Arthur Smith loves running two tight end sets, and there are a number of free agents-to-be who would slide in nicely alongside Kyle Pitts.

Echo that for the wide receiving unit, which was cobbled together with bubble gum and plaster in 2021. Smith and Fontenot are staked with the task of rebuilding the group, especially if Calvin Ridley finds himself in another uniform in 2022.

Ryan Pace hired as senior personnel executive

Ex-Bears GM Ryan Pace joined this Falcons this week, as he was hired as a senior personnel executive. After thriving with the Saints in a scouting role, Pace became the youngest GM in the NFL when hired by Chicago in 2015. While he put together a 2018 roster that saw the Bears go 12-4 and win the NFC North, his draft mistakes (The Trubisky Thing) led to his firing after last year.

He’ll be expected to do heavy work ahead of the draft, which is where he did his best work in New Orleans. And hey, he may be able to lure some Bears over with him in free agency.