NE Atlanta News

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Mailbag has returned after an offseason hiatus, offering a revamped format for the 2024 season. It will run every Tuesday and Friday morning, with Tori McElhaney handling Tuesdays and Will McFadden taking Fridays.

Jermaine D. from Djibouti, Africa expressed excitement about the Falcons' upcoming season and raised concerns about the team's cornerback depth. He also sought predictions for the first four games of the season.

Tori McElhaney responded: "Re: the cornerback position — I think the outside perspective of this position differs from the internal perspective. I say that knowing full well the Falcons' corner group recently placed 29th in a recent ranking by ESPN. But Raheem Morris and Terry Fontenot have said since February that they really like the group they have... So, at this time? I don't foresee significant changes happening with this group unless there is an injury bug that bites."

Regarding the first four games, McElhaney projected a 2-2 record: "You're talking about four really significant opponents in the Steelers, Chiefs and Saints at home and the Eagles on the road for Monday Night Football... if you come out of it with two wins you can work with that."

Don F. from Savannah, Ga., asked who among Bijan Robinson, Kyle Pitts, and Drake London would benefit most from Kirk Cousins' presence in the pocket.

McElhaney shared her thoughts: "Whenever I think about my answer, I always find myself putting Pitts slightly ahead... We saw what he could do when he wasn't 100% full-go with a quarterback who wasn't as accurate. Now, Pitts is healthy again... For context, Ryan had a career completion percentage of 65.6%, while current active quarterbacks like Matthew Stafford and Aaron Rodgers land between 63-65.3% over their careers."

David S. from Griffin, Ga., questioned why NFL rosters are limited to 53 players.

McElhaney provided historical context: "Before World War II, the league prohibited substitutions... When the war began and there was a shortage of men to play, substitutions were allowed... By 1993, rosters began morphing into the way we see them today." She concluded that roster sizes are based on salary cap distribution agreements.