5 more Atlanta Falcons who won't be back after the Desmond Ridder trade
- The Atlanta Falcons are making serious moves to upgrade their roster in NFL free agency.
- After signing Kirk Cousins , they traded Desmond Ridder to the Arizona Cardinals.
- Here are five more Falcons who are probably not going to be back with the team in 2024.
By John Buhler
2. Cordarrelle Patterson already lost market share to Bijan Robinson
Not that long ago, Cordarrelle Patterson said that he wanted to retire with the Atlanta Falcons. Well, if he never plays another down, that would certainly be the case. CP became a fan favorite during his first two years with the team. He came to the Falcons on a bargain-bin contract, but one that afforded him an opportunity to play running back and actually be part of the offense. He was so appreciated.
However, the addition of Bijan Robinson last year by way of the 2023 NFL Draft, as well as Tyler Allgeier becoming a beast in year two out of BYU, there just were not a lot of snaps to be had for Patterson on the offensive side of the ball. He can still factor in special teams, but why did Atlanta sign Ray-Ray McCloud and trade for Rondale Moore? Patterson is over 30, so his days are numbered.
From a morale standpoint, I can see Patterson being part of the team for maybe another year or so. However, with it being a hard salary cap, Atlanta cannot be spending a ton of money on a 30-something former wide receiver turned specialist turned gadget back of sorts. For as much as I would love to see CP retire as a Falcon after a trip to the postseason, it is just not in the cards for him.
This offseason is about going from painfully mediocre to being pretty good. Decisions must be made.