The Atlanta Falcons have made it official that Desmond Ridder will be taking over the role of starting quarterback moving forward. Of course, shockwaves reverberate across the team whenever a decision about the quarterback is made, but one in particular is worth following over the next few weeks.
Fellow rookie, Drake London, could be a major benefactor of this decision to move on from Marcus Mariota, but not exactly for the reason you would think. Harry Douglas joined "The Morning Show" to discuss the move and what impact it could have on the team's first round pick from last offseason.
Douglas, a member of the Falcons' coaching staff over the summer as a Bill Walsh Coaching Fellow, saw the connection growing from when the two first practiced together. They've been establishing that chemistry ever since.
"Desmond Ridder and Drake London have been together from Day 1 because they both are drafted within the same draft class," Douglas explained to The Morning Show. "So, you may see a little bit better chemistry between those two guys because of that. They're always around each other with this from the rookie club or rookie meetings, rookie minicamp, being drafted together, or doing appearances together so those guys are going to be linked together all the time and in all ways because of that. So, you may see a guy like Drake London have more opportunities [after the change]."
While this potential chemistry could serve as a boon to the offense, Douglas doesn't expect its overall complexion to dramatically change with this substitution:
"We've got to remember now that this team is a top-five team at rushing the football. They have rushed the football so well this season, but on the flip side of it, the passing game hasn’t complimented it," he explained. "But on the flip side of everything, you just don't want to go haywire. Like, ‘Hey we got Desmond, so we're going to air it out every single play.’ No, the run game has been very valuable to your team. It has benefited your team and I'm a huge believer in having your backup quarterback be kind of similar to your starting quarterback so you don't have to alter and change the offense."
While the rookie wide receiver should see a boost, he has still produced a strong inaugural season in the NFL. The former top-pick is fourth among rookie receivers in receiving yards (533) and touchdowns (four), while he's third in total receptions (47).
