The Atlanta Falcons running back room is in a very odd spot. The team is entering what appears will be a multiyear rebuild. The team has slowly been filtering out the stars from the era of their Super Bowl appearance. With players like Julio Jones and Matt Ryan off of the roster, it is time for the Falcons to finally blow the team up and build around younger players like Desmond Ridder and Calvin Ridley. One of the areas that the Falcons could move some players is their running back room. Although they have a couple of talented backs on the team, they do not fit the window of the team. The veteran backs on the Falcons will be retired for years before the Falcons are a relevant and contending team again.
Cordarrelle Patterson
The starting running back heading into the year for the Atlanta Falcons is Cordarrelle Patterson. Patterson had a career revitalizing year last season with Atlanta. It appeared that Patterson did not have too many years left before the 2021 season, however, the Falcons coaching staff utilized the speed demon as a primary running back. While he has been used in the rushing game on previous teams he played for, Patterson saw only fourteen fewer carries last season than he cumulatively had in his previous eight seasons in the NFL. Despite being 31 years old, Patterson is still one of the most athletic players in the game whenever he takes the field. There are a lot of contending teams in the NFL that would love to add a weapon like Patterson to their arsenal. With him likely not to sniff the playoffs anytime soon in Atlanta, it may be best for the two to part ways and trade him to a place where he can win.
Damien Williams
Damien Williams is currently slated as the second-string running back for the Atlanta Falcons this season. Williams began his career with the Miami Dolphins where he spent four years with the team. In his first four seasons in the NFL, Williams did not see the field too much, however, he worked his way up to starting in four games in his final season in Miami. After his stint with the Dolphins, Williams joined the Kansas City Chiefs where he saw the most success of his career. While with the Chiefs, Williams became a much bigger factor in the offense and would take over the starting spot whenever the starting back went down with an injury. In his two years in Kansas City, Williams also became a Super Bowl champion. With him likely to see a bigger role with the Falcons than he did with the Chiefs, Williams may be able to turn some heads this season.
Tyler Allgeier
The final running back that likely will see the field for the Atlanta Falcons this season is Tyler Allgeier. Allgeier was a 5th round selection from BYU. He is heading into his rookie season and he has turned head early at camp. Despite him being a fifth-round pick, he has a real chance at seeing a substantial amount of time on the field. Allgeier put together a spectacular career during his time at BYU. In his final two years in college, Allgeier had back-to-back 1000-yard rushing seasons. Although the competition will be much higher than it was at BYU, it appears that Allgeier has what it takes to have a great NFL career.
