Knox Bardeen: Falcons turn to Long for offensive line help

FLOWERY BRANCH -- Two of the top three picks from the 2008 NFL draft now reside on the Atlanta Falcons’ roster. You should only expect top-level play, however, from one of them.

Atlanta selected quarterback Matt Ryan with the third overall pick in the 2008 draft, two spots after the Miami Dolphins took offensive tackle Jake Long. The Falcons signed Long to a one-year contract Tuesday to bolster their offensive line.

“I’m excited to have his (competitive spirit) and toughness,” head coach Dan Quinn said shortly after the team signed Long, who set aside his draft status and said all he wanted was a chance to compete. “When a guy talks to you like that, you certainly have a lot of respect for how he goes about his business, so we’re excited to have him here.”

As delighted as the Falcons are to have the former first overall selection in house, they won’t rush Long to the field. He’s listed on the depth chart as the third-string left tackle, and Quinn said Tuesday it is unlikely Long will play Sunday as the team travels to take on the New York Giants.

Long will blend into practice sessions and meetings to learn Atlanta’s system and continue building confidence in his right knee. The past two seasons ended early for the tackle because of ACL tears in his knee. He played just seven games last season and 15 in 2013. Injuries cut short his 2011 and 2012 seasons, too. A torn biceps muscle wrecked the 2011 campaign after 14 games, and a torn triceps ended the 2012 season with four games left to play.

Any player who finished his previous four seasons on injured reserve should be a candidate for handling with kid gloves. Long will be no exception. When the Falcons deem him ready, he’ll likely slide into a reserve role.

“He’ll play on both sides of the ball,” Quinn said as the Falcons prepare his for duty as a swing tackle. “We’ll start him off at left and see where he’s at, and then we’ll swing him over to right, as well. We definitely like the versatility, and I know he’s played left tackle for a long time, but he’s a good football player. Most guys with that kind of mindset can swing and play both sides.”

Long spent his first three seasons healthy and a top 10 tackle. He was ranked second and third in the NFL, respectively, in 2009 and 2010. But in his four injury-plagued seasons, he has had trouble breaking into the top 20 among tackles, according to Pro Football Focus. He received negative grades in 2012 and 2014, ranked 20th in 2011 and had the best year among his most recent four in 2013 when he was the seventh-ranked tackle.

While it would benefit the Falcons if Long could return to the dominant form of his first three seasons, that kind of rebound remains a long shot after two knee surgeries. The most likely situation for Long would be to work the 2015 season as a backup for Ryan Schraeder and Jake Matthews at the tackle positions and fill in if there happens to be an injury.

The extra depth Long provides is helpful to the Falcons, as will be his years of experience.

Contact Knox Bardeen at knoxb3@gmail.com.

This story was originally published September 16, 2015 at 5:45 PM with the headline "Knox Bardeen: Falcons turn to Long for offensive line help ."