Latest news with #Neuzil
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Falcons OL Ryan Neuzil ranked among NFL's worst centers by PFF
Falcons OL Ryan Neuzil ranked among NFL's worst centers by PFF Ryan Neuzil was ranked near the bottom of Pro Football Focus' center rankings for 2025 NFL season The Atlanta Falcons spent years building their offensive line before selecting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft. While the majority of offensive starters will return in 2025, the Falcons lost center Drew Dalman in free agency. The former Stanford Cardinal worked his way up from a fourth-round pick to become one of the better centers in the entire league. The Chicago Bears signed Dalman to a three-year, $42 million contract over the offseason, leaving a big hole in the middle of Atlanta's offensive line. Without much salary cap space, the team re-signed former backup Ryan Neuzil to a two-year, $9.5 million contract. The 27-year-old appeared in eight games for the Falcons last season after Dalman was placed on the injured reserve list with an ankle injury. While Neuzil didn't exactly set the league on fire, he more than held his own in the time Dalman was out. So where does Neuzil rank among the starting centers in the league going into the 2025 NFL season? The veteran offensive lineman was ranked 29th out of 32 starters in Pro Football Focus' center rankings: Neuzil stepped in for the injured Drew Dalman this past season, and while he didn't dominate, he performed well enough to earn the nod for a full season in 2025. Neuzil needs to better limit mistakes in the run game but did show some flashes, ranking in the 72nd percentile in positively graded run play rate (15.7%). -- Mason Cameron, PFF The Falcons are putting their faith in Neuzil to get the job done this season. Fortunately, he'll be surrounded by elite talent. Pro Bowl guard Chris Lindstrom is one of the better players in the NFL and third-year left guard Matthew Bergeron has been solid since taking over in 2023. As for Dalman, the former Falcons center was ranked fifth by Pro Football Focus: After his final season in Atlanta was cut short due to injury, Dalman heads to a perfect situation with Ben Johnson in Chicago. His reputation as one of the best run-blocking centers in the game will be a huge asset in Johnson's zone-heavy scheme, where the veteran has produced a career 93.8 PFF run-blocking grade. -- Mason Cameron, PFF The Falcons offense is loaded with playmakers, including Drake London, Darnell Mooney, Bijan Robinson and Kyle Pitts. With a full offseason to prepare, Penix is in a position to thrive as the undisputed QB1 in Atlanta. The team just needs Neuzil to hold down the center position and this could be one of the most prolific units in the NFL this season.
USA Today
22-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
NFL.com says Falcons will feel the impact of losing top free agent
says Falcons will feel the impact of losing top free agent Falcons will miss starting center Drew Dalman this season, analyst claims Due to financial limitations, the Atlanta Falcons were relatively quiet during the 2025 NFL free agency period. After making big moves to bring in Kirk Cousins, Matthew Judon and Justin Simmons last season, the team made more headlines for the players that it lost in 2025. The Falcons released the former face of their defense in defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, and let starting center Drew Dalman depart in free agency. Within a matter of hours, both Jarrett and Dalman signed three-year deals with the Chicago Bears. While players change teams all the time, some are more impactful than others. published a list of the player departures that will have the biggest impact on their former teams in 2025. Dalman was one of 13 players listed by Nick Shook. "Atlanta lost last season's fourth-best center (per PFF), with Dalman leaving for the Bears in free agency," wrote Shook. "Signs point to the Falcons replacing him with Ryan Neuzil, who spent half of last season filling in for the injured Dalman but didn't perform at the same level. With Michael Penix Jr. entering his first full season as the team's starting quarterback, having a reliable center becomes even more important." While the team wasn't thrilled about losing Dalman, Atlanta has a decent replacement waiting in the wings. Backup Ryan Neuzil started eight games in place of an injured Dalman last season. The Falcons placed a right-of-refusal tender on Neuzil, although he has yet to sign it. "Neuzil will need to improve to flirt with Dalman's consistency, and playing center comes with important responsibilities," continued Shook. "Like others on this list, the pressure -- and the spotlight -- will be on Neuzil early. He has yet to sign his restricted free agent tender, but it sounds like it's just a matter of time before he puts pen to paper." The Falcons signed undrafted free agent center Michael Gonzalez out of Louisville last week, but the job still appears to be Neuzil's to lose. It's unclear why he has yet to sign his tender. Perhaps he feels the $3.2 million price tag isn't up to par for a starting center. Since Atlanta can match any offer Neuzil receives, his options are limited beyond returning to the Falcons next season. Around Falcons Wire
