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Did the Falcons do enough to get tough enough up front?

The Falcons went hard after offensive linemen in the draft. They took Wisconsin guard/center Peter Konz in the second round and Southern Mississippi tackle Lamar Holmes in the third. They also added guard Vince Manuwai in free agency.

The plan seems to be to throw Konz and Manuwai out there with guard Justin Blalock, center Todd McClure, guard Garrett Reynolds and guard/center Joe Hawley. The Falcons will let them all compete in training camp and and then decide which combination gives them the best interior. Konz probably will emerge as a starter, and either he or Hawley could replace McClure, who is aging fast. That should improve the interior of the offensive line, but what about the outside? Left tackle Sam Baker struggled last season, and the fact that Holmes was sitting there in the third round is a pretty good indicator that he’s not ready to step in and be a stud left tackle.

If the Falcons really are serious about throwing downfield more, they have to give quarterback Matt Ryan more time. The Falcons still may have to add a left tackle (Marcus McNeill) to compete with Baker if they really want to solidify their offensive line.

Speaking of solidifying lines, the Falcons haven’t done much on the defensive side, and that also was a problem area last year. They brought back veteran defensive end John Abraham, but they don’t have any other especially strong pass-rushers. I wouldn’t count on an immediate impact from fifth-round pick Jonathan Massaquoi. Guys like Ray Edwards, Kroy Biermann and Lawrence Sidbury have to step up, or the Falcons have to go try to find a pass-rusher in what remains of free agency.

The Atlanta Falcons have had the quietest offseason of any NFC South team. But that doesn't mean they won't have some changes in their starting lineup.

Now that the NFL draft is over, let's take a look at my best guess at what Atlanta's starting lineup will look like in September.

OFFENSE

• QB Matt Ryan

• RB Michael Turner

• FB Ovie Mughelli

• WR Roddy White

• WR Julio Jones

• TE Tony Gonzalez

• LT Sam Baker (or someone not yet on the roster)

• LG Justin Blalock

• C Joe Hawley (I’m guessing he starts ahead of Todd McClure)

• RG Peter Konz (unless he ends up playing center)

• RT Tyson Clabo

DEFENSE

• DE John Abraham

• DT Corey Peters

• DT Jonathan Babineaux

• DE Ray Edwards

• OLB Sean Weatherspoon

• MLB Akeem Dent (Falcons would like him to beat out veteran Lofa Tatupu)

• OLB Stephen Nicholas

• CB Brent Grimes

• CB Dunta Robinson (Asante Samuel will play as much as Grimes and Robinson)

• SS William Moore

• FS Thomas DeCoud

SPECIALISTS

• K Matt Bryant

• P Matt Bosher

• PR Dominique Franks

• KR Jacquizz Rodgers

As it turns out, the Atlanta Falcons aren’t planning to jump over that playoff hurdle that’s been talked so much about.

They simply plan to plow right through it. The latest evidence came Friday night when the Falcons used their second-round draft pick (No. 55 overall) on Wisconsin center (more on that in a moment) Peter Konz.

It would have been very easy for the Falcons to overreact and do something crazy after an embarrassing January playoff loss to the New York Giants. Yeah, they could have made a leap in free agency for defensive end Mario Williams, which seemed to be the preferred rout by 99 of every 100 Falcons fans.

But the fact is, if the Falcons had landed Williams back in March, they wouldn’t be as good a team as they are today. Seriously.

Yeah, I know it sounds a little ridiculous to say the Falcons are better off without a guy who could have brought them double-digit sacks. But it’s the truth. Had the Falcons signed Williams, they would have had to gut their existing roster.

The salary-cap space Williams would have taken up would have prevented the Falcons from keeping guys like receiver Harry Douglas, safety Thomas DeCoud, defensive end John Abraham, center Todd McClure and running back Jason Snelling. They might not have been able to fit cornerback Brent Grimes under the salary cap with the franchise tag. Even if they did, they would have had to have made some dramatic moves -- like releasing receiver Roddy White, running back Michael Turner or fullback Ovie Mughelli.

Any or all of those moves seemed possible in the immediate aftermath of the loss in New York. But owner Arthur Blank, who earlier in his tenure may have been prone to overreacting, sat down with coach Mike Smith and general manager Thomas Dimitroff and coolly came up with a plan on how the Falcons can take the next step.

Smith and Dimitroff have had four straight winning seasons, but have yet to win a playoff game. When you’ve had four straight winning seasons, you don’t blow a team up. You keep it together and fix the things that are wrong.

Without flash, that’s precisely what the Falcons have done and Friday night was just another step.

“We were really honed in on the offensive line as you can imagine,’’ Dimitroff said, moments after selecting Konz. “We need to get more stout on this offensive line.’’

There’s no doubt about that. Let’s consider this item from ESPN Stats & Information: The Falcons were one of 10 teams to average less than 4.0 yards per rush between the tackles last season. That came despite the fact they have a bruising runner in Turner.

The Falcons also didn’t do a great job of protecting quarterback Matt Ryan. That failure was the major reason why all the downfield passing we heard about after the Falcons traded up to draft Julio Jones didn’t fully materialize last year. The Falcons were soft up front and it cost offensive line coach Paul Boudreau his job.

Other than left tackle Sam Baker, a first-round pick in 2008, the Falcons really haven’t made huge investments in their offensive line. The arrival of Konz changes that.

Although he played center at Wisconsin, Dimitroff said “we’re listing him as a guard/center right now’’.

It’s no big secret McClure is at the end of his career. He’s 35 and it shows. The Falcons brought him back as insurance, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be their starting center on opening day. Guard Joe Hawley also can play center. Hawley also could factor into the situation at guard, where he played last season along with Justin Blalock and Garrett Reynolds. Add Konz to that mix and it’s pretty clear the Falcons are going to throw all their guards and centers onto the field in training camp and the preseason and see which of the three emerge as the best trio.

“Let’s come in here and have some great competition and see who can protect Matt Ryan the best,’’ Dimitroff said. “We want production and we want guys who can finish. In Peter, we have a guy who can do both of those.’’

Look, I’m not saying a guard/center from Wisconsin is going to come in the second round and push right through that hurdle all by himself. Konz is just a part of the puzzle and maybe fans can finally see that picture coming together now.

There’s a reason why Atlanta didn’t have a first-round pick this year. Jones was the first-round pick for last year and this year and he’s better than any receiver in this year’s draft. There was a reason why the Falcons didn’t make to splurge in free agency. They didn’t have the salary-cap room to do it without ripping a good team apart.

Little by little, they’ve made moves that have them gaining speed as they head for that hurdle. Just this week, they traded a late-round draft pick for four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Asante Samuel and quickly signed him to a cap-friendly deal.

In theory, Samuel should team with Grimes and Dunta Robinson to give the Falcons one of the league’s best cornerback tandems. In theory, Konz should team with all those other offensive linemen to make the Falcons tougher up front.

Yeah, there still are a few needs -- the pass rush, depth at tight end and maybe some more help on the outside of the offensive line. The Falcons are well aware of all that. They’ll address those needs in the rest of the draft and after it when the time and the price are right. But, now, you can see their offseason plan taking shape.

If the Falcons had gone out and paid a fortune for Williams, they wouldn’t be making solid, safe picks like Konz because they’d be desperately trying to repair all the other damage they did to their team.

We’ve got some second-round developments in the NFC South.

The Atlanta Falcons just used their second-round pick (No. 55 overall) on Wisconsin offensive lineman Peter Konz and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers continued to be aggressive by trading back into the second round to take Nebraska outside linebacker Lavonte David.

Konz played center in college, but also projects as a guard in the NFL. The Falcons might have a bigger need at left tackle, but Konz will give them lots of flexibility in the interior of the line. In the long term, he’s the likely replacement for veteran center Todd McClure. In the short term, he could play guard and provide some competition for Joe Hawley, Justin Blalock and Garrett Reynolds.

Tampa Bay, which already had traded up to get a second first-round pick, got great value with David. He was projected as a first-round pick by some experts. He also fits a major need.

Linebacker was a problem spot last year and the Bucs need someone who can make plays. David can do that on the outside and may allow the Bucs to keep second-year pro Mason Foster in the middle.

I’ll be back with a more in a bit.

We’ve been talking a lot about the Buccaneers and Panthers and what they may do in the draft and that’s mainly because they’re the only two NFC South teams with a first-round pick.

The Saints don’t pick until the third round, but now that we’re into April, it’s a good time to start talking about the Falcons and what they might do in the second round (at No. 55 overall).

A lot of people are talking about Atlanta getting a left tackle. But you don’t usually find future All-Pro tackles deep in the second round. The Falcons could take a tackle somewhere in this draft, but coach Mike Smith recently made it sound like the team will give Sam Baker one more chance.

When asked about tackles that might be available in the second round, ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay ticked off a group (Florida State’s Zebrie Sanders, Cal’s Mitchell Schwartz and Mississippi’s Bobby Massie) that he referred to as "third-tier offensive tackles."

“Bobby Massie would probably be the best available and maybe best case scenario coming out of Mississippi,’’ McShay said in a recent conference call with the national media. “I don't know that he's going to fall all the way there, but if he does it's a possibility. Zebrie Sanders from Florida State, there is a good chance he'll be there. He kind of fits what they want to do. He fits that Florida State zone-blocking scheme, and I think he has the athleticism to play left tackle, but I'm not necessarily convinced of it. It's always hard to plug your left tackle, and it's not going to be easy to do.’’

I’m not sure it makes sense for the Falcons to take a “third-tier offensive tackle’’ with their first draft pick. They were reluctant to play interior linemen Joe Hawley and Mike Johnson right away when they drafted them in the middle rounds in 2010. I don’t see them being more willing to play a rookie right away at left tackle.

McShay brought up another interesting scenario for the Falcons with their second-round pick and this guy should be familiar to Atlanta fans. McShay mentioned Georgia cornerback Brandon Boykin as a possibility and he did it enthusiastically.

“He's just so fast,’’ McShay. “Everything he does is fast. I think his instincts need to improve. I know his instincts need to improve. He's late diagnosing some throws. When they put him in the zone, he can get lost a little bit, and that's not really his strength. But he's such a good athlete. He can absolutely fly. His vertical leap is just insane. He's just so physically gifted. You see the suddenness, the explosiveness. To me, maybe he's just a nickel corner, but maybe you get production out of him on the offensive side if you're creative enough. You definitely get production out of him and potentially some big plays in the return game.’’

Hmm, I have a tough time seeing Smith, who usually is viewed as a conservative type, letting someone play offense and defense. But, then again, maybe owner Arthur Blank can get in Smith’s ear about that possibility. Blank has developed a pretty strong relationship with Deion Sanders, who once played a little offense in addition to cornerback. Sanders also was a top-notch return man.

That’s a skill that could make Boykin particularly attractive to the Falcons. They recently let return man Eric Weems leave via free agency.

PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The Falcons let veteran center Todd McClure test free agency, but he’s staying in Atlanta.

General manager Thomas Dimitroff just said McClure, 35, has agreed to terms on a deal that will keep him with the only team he's played for.

“We’re very excited as an organization to have a player and person like Todd McClure to come back to us and play his 13^th season with us,’’ Dimitroff said. “He’s the consummate leader. He’s what we’re looking for in an offensive lineman in terms of the toughness and the grit and, most importantly, the leadership.’’

McClure started 13 games last season. His return gives the Falcons some depth in the middle of the line. Joe Hawley also plays center, but McClure’s return could allow Hawley to compete for a starting job at guard, where Justin Blalock and Garrett Reynolds were last year’s starters.

The Atlanta Falcons began the process of overhauling their offensive line even before the start of free agency.

The team announced Friday night that it has signed guard Vince Manuwai. He becomes an instant candidate to start. The Falcons have Justin Blalock at one guard spot, but there was uncertainty on the right side last year as the Falcons experimented with Garrett Reynolds and Joe Hawley, but neither exceled.

Manuwai could have a big edge over Reynolds and Hawley because he has a history with new Atlanta offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter.

Manuwai was drafted by Jacksonville in 2003 and started 105 of 111 games between his rookie season and the end of the 2010 season. Manuwai was cut by the Jaguars last summer and spent the year away from football.

The Atlanta Falcons, who are bound to have some offseason changes on their offensive line, started the process Saturday night.

The team just announced it has hired Pat Hill to be the offensive line coach. Paul Boudreau, who had been with the Falcons throughout the tenure of coach Mike Smith, was not retained after the 2011 season.

Hill spent 15 seasons as the Fresno State head coach and compiled a 112-80 record while leading the Bulldogs to 11 bowl games. But Hill also has a solid NFL background. He spent five seasons coaching tight ends and the offensive line in Cleveland, when Bill Belichick was the Browns’ head coach. He also coached tight ends and offensive line for the Baltimore Ravens in 1996 before moving on to Fresno State.

Boudreau’s line had a rough 2011 season, especially early on. The Falcons were breaking in a new starting guard, Garrett Reynolds. After Reynolds struggled, the Falcons replaced him with Joe Hawley. Left tackle Sam Baker got off to a bad start and missed time with a back injury. He was replaced by Will Svitek, who remained the starter even after Baker got healthy.

The team may part ways with Baker, a first-round pick in 2008, and almost certainly will be looking for help at left tackle. Veteran center Todd McClure also is scheduled to become a free agent and the Falcons could look to get younger at that position.

The Atlanta Falcons just sent out a very short release announcing offensive line coach Paul Boudreau is leaving the team.

“We would like to thank Coach Boudreau for his contributions to our team over the past four seasons, and we wish him well in his future endeavors,” coach Mike Smith said.

Consider Boudreau another scapegoat for a team that went 10-6 in the regular season, after going 13-3 last year, and got bounced in the first round of the playoffs.

Boudreau joined the Falcons in 2008 and, for his first three seasons, I thought he was one of the best offensive line coaches in the league. He got a unit that didn’t have a lot of high draft picks to overachieve.

But Atlanta’s offensive line suffered a noticeable drop-off in 2011. Left tackle Sam Baker and center Todd McClure were banged up early. Baker struggled mightily and eventually lost his job to journeyman Will Svitek. The Falcons also let Harvey Dahl go in free agency and, at first, replaced him with Garrett Reynolds. But Reynolds played his way out of the lineup and was replaced by Joe Hawley.

Atlanta’s pass protection struggled early in the season, and that was a big reason why the Falcons weren’t as successful in the deep passing game as they had hoped. The Falcons hired new offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter on Sunday, and it's likely he'll have a big say in hiring the next offensive line coach.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Thoughts on the Atlanta Falcons' 24-2 playoff loss to the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.

What it means: This was much more than just a loss. This was devastating for the entire Falcons organization. Yeah, give the Giants credit for winning the game. But give the Falcons plenty of blame for losing. This team had sent out a strong signal that the Super Bowl was the goal when it traded up to draft Julio Jones and signed free-agent defensive end Ray Edwards. The Falcons didn’t even come close to the Super Bowl. For the second straight year -- and the third time in four years -- the Falcons lost their opening playoff game.

When you have those expectations and those results, you can’t expect owner Arthur Blank to remain patient forever. Coach Mike Smith and quarterback Matt Ryan never have won a postseason game. Their jobs aren’t in jeopardy -- yet. But everyone around them (assistant coaches, offensive linemen and receivers who can’t hang onto passes) is suddenly on the hot seat. This loss will prompt some changes in Atlanta.

Fourth-and-nowhere: Smith elected to go for it on fourth-and-inches twice when he could have kicked field goals. That didn’t work either time. Smith also failed when he went for it in overtime against the Saints during the regular season. Anyone notice a theme here? I think you’ll be reading a lot more about this in my follow-up column.

What happened to the offense? This was a legitimate question during the regular season, but it really showed in the playoff game. The Falcons have no offensive identity, no idea whether they’re a running or passing team. Against the Giants, they weren’t either; they simply were a terrible offense. That’s a far cry from those lofty expectations I mentioned above.

Big players make big drops: Atlanta receiver Roddy White led the NFL in drops during the regular season. He escalated that in the postseason. White dropped at least two passes, possibly three and maybe even four. I’m not sure how or why, but White went from being one of the league’s most sure-handed receivers in 2010 to a drop machine this season. I’m not saying White’s done in Atlanta by any means. But he’s getting up in age, he comes with a high price tag and it wouldn’t totally shock me if he’s dangled for trade in the offseason.

Total mismatch: Atlanta’s offensive line was totally destroyed by the Giants’ pass rush. Not surprising, really. The Falcons built this line for run -- not pass -- blocking. Ryan was bad, largely because he had no chance. The Falcons already had given up on Sam Baker at left tackle. Journeyman replacement Will Svitek got exploited and showed he’s not a long-term answer. The Falcons need to get a left tackle. Problem is, they won’t have a first-round draft pick (that went in the deal for Jones), and the list of left tackles coming available in free agency isn’t too promising. Remember what I mentioned about perhaps shopping White. Oh, and Joe Hawley doesn’t look like the answer at right guard.

What’s next: An offseason of change at the Falcons’ Flowery Branch facility. This team has a ton of talent, and it won’t be blown up. But there will be significant tweaks in different areas.

» NFC Stock Watch: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

FALLING

1. Gerald McCoy, Buccaneers defensive tackle. He suffered a season-ending arm injury Sunday. This is the second straight year McCoy has had his season cut short by an injury. There will be rumbles that McCoy is injury-prone, and some people will call him a draft bust. McCoy already was very sensitive to comparisons to Ndamukong Suh, who was taken just before him in last year’s draft. McCoy needs to put all of that out of his mind as he goes through his rehab. When he's been healthy, he has shown signs he can play. McCoy needs to come back next year and put it all together. Otherwise, that bust label might start to fit.

2. Garrett Reynolds, Falcons guard. Reynolds had won the starting right guard job in training camp. But he had struggled through much of the first half of the season. The coaching staff decided to start Joe Hawley in his place in Sunday’s victory against Indianapolis. Hawley played well, and this doesn’t look like a short-term move. Reynolds had his chance as a starter, but those days appear to be over.

3. LeGarrette Blount, Buccaneers running back. Blount said he was hoping to become more of an every-down back after Earnest Graham went down with a season-ending injury. But that didn’t happen Sunday in New Orleans. The Bucs simply plugged Kregg Lumpkin into Graham’s role on passing downs, and Blount was limited to playing mostly on running downs. Blount hasn’t been able to convince the coaches he’s ready to handle pass protections. If he can’t do that by the midpoint of his second season, it makes you wonder whether he ever will be able to handle that role. Blount also hurt his team with a costly unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty.

RISING

1. Julio Jones, Falcons receiver. The rookie came back after missing two games with a hamstring injury and did exactly what the Falcons envisioned when they had drafted him. Jones made explosive plays. He caught two touchdown passes -- one for 80 yards and a second for 50. He also got a couple of carries on reverses. Jones wasn’t playing badly before the injury, but the Falcons weren’t coming up with the explosive plays. While he was out, the Falcons re-evaluated their offense, and it looks like they’re starting to figure out how to maximize Jones’ talent.

2. Pierre Thomas, Saints running back. It’s tough to stand out in a New Orleans backfield that uses a three-man rotation. But Thomas stood out Sunday against Tampa Bay. He had his best game of the season, carrying eight times for 66 yards and a touchdown. Thomas averaged 8.3 yards per carry and caught four passes for 25 yards.

3. Curtis Lofton, Falcons middle linebacker. With Carolina’s Jon Beason out for the season and New Orleans’ Jonathan Vilma dealing with a knee problem, Lofton has emerged as the NFC South’s best middle linebacker. He was in on 12 tackles Sunday as the Atlanta defense didn’t allow a point against Indianapolis. Lofton also forced a fumble that led to an Atlanta touchdown.

ATLANTA – There’s some pretty major pregame news from the Falcons. Defensive end John Abraham will not play in Sunday night’s game with Green Bay.

Abraham has been declared inactive. He was added to the injury report Friday with a hip injury. With Abraham out, the Falcons likely will look to Kroy Biermann and Lawrence Sidbury to share time at his spot.

The other inactives for the Falcons are cornerback Darrin Walls, running back Antone Smith, center Todd McClure, offensive lineman Mike Johnson, defensive tackle Carlton Powell and defensive end Cliff Matthews.

Joe Hawley is expected to start in place of McClure, who has a knee injury.

The final injury reports are out, so let's take a look at the most important injuries around the division.

The Atlanta Falcons declared center Todd McClure (knee) out for Sunday, after he missed his third straight day of practice. That likely means Joe Hawley will return to the starting lineup. Defensive end John Abraham (hip) and defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux (knee) are listed as questionable. Both practiced on a limited basis.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers declared tight end Luke Stocker out with a knee injury. Linebacker Quincy Black (ankle) is questionable.

Carolina tight end Jeremy Shockey (concussion) should be able to play against his former team, the Saints. Shockey is listed as probable. Guard Geoff Hangartner (back) and tackle Jeff Otah (back) also are listed as probable.

The Saints have declared tight end David Thomas (concussion) and tackle Zach Strief (knee) out for Sunday. Receiver Devery Henderson (calf), linebacker Will Herring (hamstring) and center Olin Kreutz all are questionable after practicing on a limited basis.

Time to check in on the most important injuries around the NFC South.

The news was mixed out of Atlanta. Defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux (knee) and linebacker Stephen Nicholas practiced on a limited basis for the second straight day. But center Todd McClure (knee) sat out for the second straight day. McClure had returned from a knee injury last week and stepped back into the starting lineup after Joe Hawley had started the first three games.

There were encouraging developments out of New Orleans as center Olin Kreutz (knee) and linebacker Will Herring (hamstring) returned to practice on a limited basis. Receiver Devery Henderson (calf), offensive tackle Zach Strief (knee) and tight end David Thomas (concussion) also missed practice.

Tampa Bay rookie tight end Luke Stocker likely will miss Sunday’s game at San Francisco with a knee injury. Coach Raheem Morris said Stocker will be week-to-week. Stocker has been getting a fair amount of playing time as a blocking tight end as the Bucs use Kellen Winslow mostly as a pass-catcher. Stocker’s absence could create more playing time for Zack Pianalto and Collin Franklin.

The news was positive for the Panthers on the offensive line. Right tackle Jeff Otah and right guard Geoff Hangartner, who sat out Wednesday with back injuries, went through the full practice Thursday. Tight end Jeremy Shockey (concussion) took part on a limited basis, but coach Ron Rivera was optimistic about Shockey’s chances of playing Sunday.

In his Monday afternoon news conference, Atlanta coach Mike Smith admitted he’s not happy with the play of his offensive line. It’s good that Smith realizes he’s got a problem on his hands, because that much has been pretty obvious to the world for the first three games.

Quarterback Matt Ryan is getting hit more than he ever has before and the Falcons had only 30 rushing yards in Sunday’s loss to Tampa Bay.

But how do you fix offensive line problems in the middle of a season? Smith said he and his coaching staff will take a hard look at their scheme and personnel. He also said all the positions on the line are open to competition, and the guys who play best in practice will play Sunday in Seattle.

The sudden collapse of Atlanta’s offensive line is a little puzzling. The Falcons did lose right guard Harvey Dahl in free agency. But that was a departure the Falcons willingly allowed. They had used several draft picks on offensive linemen in recent years to prepare for that scenario.

Garrett Reynolds won the job in training camp, but he’s been one of the guys who has struggled most. The Falcons could look to a pair of second-year pros, Joe Hawley and Mike Johnson, to replace Reynolds. Johnson was in a close competition with Reynolds throughout the preseason. Hawley started the first two games at center because Todd McClure was hurt. But McClure returned Sunday and Hawley also can play guard.

I can see the Falcons shaking things up and giving either Hawley or Johnson a shot at starting. But the other problem area -- and a much bigger one -- has been at left tackle. That position is held by Sam Baker. He was drafted the same year as Ryan, and the thinking was the Falcons wanted a franchise left tackle to protect their franchise quarterback.

Baker’s first three seasons were far from great, but he wasn’t a liability. This year, he’s become one. There’s no easy or obvious way to solve this problem. The only backup tackle the Falcons have is Will Svitek. He’s a career backup, but he did an adequate job while starting two games for an injured Baker in 2009.

Svitek isn’t the long-term answer at this position. But maybe the Falcons should make one last-ditch effort to light a fire under Baker. Maybe they should bench him and start Svitek for a game or two. Maybe that will inspire Baker and he can win the job back in practice and play well the rest of the season.

Or maybe, benching or not benching Baker will have no real impact. That’s not a real pleasant prospect.

At this time of year, you can’t just go out and find a solid left tackle, because they’re all playing for someone else. Unless Baker really steps up his game the rest of the season, the Falcons will have to use next year’s draft or free-agency period to find a left tackle.