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The Atlanta Falcons came about as close as a team can last season, winning 11 games, running through the postseason, playing in the Super Bowl, and mounting a 28-3 halftime lead on the best team in football.
After that, things didn't go quite as well as planned. But that said, this is a football team building on proven successes, and with much of the same infrastructure still in place for a second go at immortality.
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Here are three position battles Falcons fans should watch closely in this summer's training camp.
Weakside Linebacker
The Falcons earned their bones last season by building one of the best offenses in football, led by eventual MVP Matt Ryan, a cadre of gifted receivers, and a versatile run game. But on defense, the Falcons' fortunes were less pronounced, ranking 25th overall, average against the rush, and fifth-worst against the pass. Opponents converted 41.8 percent of their third-downs against Atlanta, the NFL's sixth-best ranking.
To help remedy those marks, the Falcons will look to build on their defense from the inside out, building a strong core at the center at all three levels from which they can unleash their more athletic edge players. At linebacker, Deion Jones and his team-high 108 tackles and three interceptions represents that core, while De'Vondre Campbell will enter his second season at the strong side, leaving something of a question at the third and final slot.
Rookie third-round draft pick Duke Riley has a genuine chance to take the starting job, but he'll have some serious competition in Kemal Ishmael, one of the team's most versatile and productive defensive players both at linebacker and defensive back since coming to Atlanta in 2013. He signed a one-year deal this offseason after grabbing 52 tackles on just 28 percent of the Falcons' defensive snaps. Riley, an LSU product, didn't have a lot of experience in college, but comes with a reputation for straight-line speed and sure tackling near the line.
Right Guard
Last season, the Falcons fielded the NFL's second-best overall offense, the third-best at throwing the ball, and the fifth-best at running with it, a trifecta of offensive firepower whose foundation lay in one of the most proficient, well-coordinated, and healthiest front fives in the league. This summer, however, finds one lucrative position up for grabs, at right guard, after Chris Chester's retirement.
Three favorites to succeed Chester come to mind: Wes Schweitzer, a sixth-round draft pick last year from San Jose State, 29-year-old Ben Garland, and rookie fourth-round pick Sean Harlow. None of these options have enough experience to give the team complete confidence in their decision, but one name sticks out.
Schweitzer (6-foot-5, 314 pounds) is the most likely to win the job, given his experience in an offensive scheme similar to what the Falcons run in school. He's an adept zone-blocker on the inside and has the kind of mobility coaches were looking for. If Schweitzer begins camp on a high note and stays there, it's his job to lose.
Regardless of who starts at right guard, SportsLine projects another big season from the Falcons' rushing attack:
| PLAYER | RuAtt | RuYd | RuAvg | RuTD | Recpt | ReYd | ReAvg | ReTD | FP* |
| Devonta Freeman | 235 | 1,049 | 4.5 | 9 | 59 | 564 | 9.6 | 2 | 226 |
| Tevin Coleman | 159 | 682 | 4.3 | 6 | 33 | 431 | 12.9 | 4 | 171 |
*Fantasy points
Fullback
Yes, the Falcons are one of a handful of teams who still implement the fullback as a regular feature of their offensive alignment. And with some success, too. The team's change in coordinators, from Kyle Shanahan to Steve Sarkisian, and the departure of Patrick DiMarco (who played on 31 percent of Atlanta's offensive snaps) doesn't necessarily mean the position will be forgotten. But who will take it?
As of right now, two names emerge: Derrick Coleman and Tyler Renew. A five-year veteran with two touchdowns to his name, Coleman joined the team from Seattle this offseason, and Renew is a 22-year-old undrafted rookie from The Citadel. The 26-year-old Coleman hasn't played football in a year while Renew impressed scouts with straight-line speed and a natural ability for catching the football while on the run.
As the NFL evolves into a more pass-oriented league, the fullback position has lost influence in offensive game-planning as coaches place a greater premium on tall pass receivers with big hands and long strides to make the plays downfield. But any team could use an extra blocker in the run game and another pair of hands in the short passing game, a fact the Falcons still realize.
