ey! It’s Thursday! That means it’s almost Friday Youth Isaiah Oliver Jersey , which means it’s almost the weekend. Start off your pseudo Friday with today’s edition of Falcoholinks. Clayborn Back We’ve opined around these parts about the value a veteran pass-rusher adds to the growth and progression of Atlanta’s young defensive linemen. The team eased our minds in that regard, electing to bring back defensive end Adrian Clayborn on a one-year deal. Clayborn, the Atlanta Falcons’ franchise leader with six sacks in a game, adds some much needed veteran savvy and pass-rushing ability to the defensive line. A fan favorite, this was one of the no-brainer moves that was widely applauded and immediately improves the defense.Welcome back, Clay.Talkin’ Tackles (Defensive Edition)The defensive tackle position is one that the Falcons are expected to address early on in the draft (and likely the first round). Pairing a game-wrecking starter with Grady Jarrett on the interior will do worlds for the Falcons’ pass-rush and run-stopping ability, so naturally we’ve been focusing on DT as one of the team’s biggest needs. Although the draft could be where the Falcons add to the future of their defensive line, they’re also looking to bolster depth through free agency. They recently scheduled a meeting with free agent defensive tackle Tyeler Davison, and even held a workout with former Falcons’ second-rounder Ra’Shede Hageman.Dan Quinn highlighted defensive tackle as one of the Atlanta Falcons’ top needs, so whether it’s through the draft, free agency, or some combination of both, the team is definitely not done at the position. He also heaped some extensive praise on defensive tackle standout Jack Crawford, which is great Stitched Tony Gonzalez Jersey , because he’s a real ace bloke.Preseason Opponents Announced The preseason is a paradox. You simultaneously crave it yet want it to go away as quickly as possible. You watch because it’s football, but you turn it off because it’s not football. It’s Schr枚dinger’s football season, and we now have the slate of opponents the Falcons will face in it. On deck? The Denver Broncos, Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins, Washington Redskins, and New York Jets. Enjoy it (or don’t).Julio > ABJulio Jones dominates on the football field, and he dominates off it as well. He’s not an attention magnet, he’s relatively quiet on social media, and he simply goes about his work. Contrast this with Antonio Brown, the angsty-Steeler-turned-angsty-Raider and it illuminates just how great Julio Jones really is. Antonio Brown is in the middle of a strange social media spat with former teammate JuJu Smith-Schuster, one where he’s fully embraced his newfound heel-turn. Julio’s social media activity is primarily pumping his clothing brand and taking pictures with squirrels. The Falcons have fared well in the draft under Dan Quinn, with a couple of exceptions."The other day we discussed the positions the Falcons have been most and least likely to draft with Dan Quinn on board. Today, I want to talk about the three or so positions they’ve done a great job of drafting and the couple of position groups where they’ve either been inattentive or lousy. Strengths Running backThis has been a slam dunk Youth Tony Gonzalez Jersey , though Quinn isn’t exactly the guy going to the mat for running backs. Tevin Coleman was one of the league’s more effective complements and a fine feature back in his own right when injuries hit Devonta Freeman, while Ito Smith looked very good in his rookie year and should be at worst a capable backup going forward. It’s not clear that he’ll have a role on this team, but Brian Hill’s hard-charging style could mean a bright future for him, as well.Wide receiver Similar story here. Calvin Ridley just put a rookie season behind him that was insanely impressive statistically and quite good even if you take a closer look at his occasional lapses, Justin Hardy has been a stellar blocker and fine fourth option for years now, and Russell Gage has promise. Defensive tackle Grady Jarrett is a star, which pretty much makes the case here. Deadrin Senat has a ton of promise, too, even if his rookie year wasn’t jaw-dropping and Quinn mysteriously benched him for a bit. Linebacker No position has fared better under Quinn that linbacker. Duke Riley looks like a miss two years into his career, but Deion Jones is a superstar, De’Vondre Campbell has been above average more or less his entire career, and Foye Oluokun put together an absurdly impressive season for a sixth round selection from an Ivy League school. Safety Similar story here, where the Falcons nabbed Keanu Neal in the first round and added Damontae Kazee, who put together an impressive year at free safety for Atlanta in 2018 even if he’s heading to corner this year. If you count Akeem King here Stitched Deion Sanders Jersey , he’s become a fine safety for Seattle. The thing you’ll note here is that Quinn’s Falcons have generally not done well in the trenches or prioritized them, which is the cause of many of their 2018 woes that weren’t related to injury. Takk and Beasley could have fine seasons and elevate defensive end and a new right tackle would help there, but the Falcons have generally not drafted along the offensive line and have gotten mixed results out of end. Quinn’s picks at linbacker and safety have been stellar, however, and the team continues to have little trouble stocking their offensive skill positions with talent.WeaknessesOffensive line This is as much due to effort as anything, but it needs to be called out.The Falcons have drafted just one tackle, seventh rounder Jake Rodgers back in 2015, and he didn’t even make the roster. They’ve drafted zero centers and just two guards, with Sean Harlow currently chilling on the practice squad and Wes Schweitzer turning out to be a far, far better player than anyone could have anticipated back when they picked him in the sixth round back in 2016. But that’s three selections in four years, and only Schweitzer has turned out to be anything. The team has also tried, over and over again, to get Schweitzer back on the bench, only to be undone by injury or lackluster competition.That’s a problem because the Falcons pretty much have to start drafting well along the line. Alex Mack is aging (though still good!) Youth Deion Sanders Jersey , both guard options are 1-3 year stopgaps, and Ty Sambrailo is probably a one year starter at right tackle at best. Given their track record along the offensive line before Quinn arrived—only Jake Matthews turned out to be very good, and only Sam Baker, Garrett Reynolds, and Joe Hawley joined him in being quality multi-year starters—it’s a cause for concern. Defensive end This weakness looms large over the team right now. Vic Beasley had one season of amazing production and a couple of solid seasons overall, but Pro Football Focus had him grading out as the league’s worst defensive end a year ago, an evaluation that was largely matched by what he put on tape. Takkarist McKinley has been better but has not fully blossomed yet, mixing some exciting, dominant stretches with quiet games. That’s a problem because these guys are both first rounders, the team’s depth at the position comprises two free agents on one year deals, and Beasley is headed to free agency in 2020. They need to add more young talent to the position because of the strong possibility that they’ll lose Beasley if he bounces back, but a third year leap from Takk would help take this one off the list a year from now.