FLOWERY BRANCH -- At the owner's meeting in March, Falcons coach Dan Quinn sat down with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and went over his wide-ranging plan for the upcoming offseason.
He shared his hopes and goals heading into his second season as the coach with authority over the final 53-man roster. Quinn singled out six players he wanted to see make major progress through the team’s Plan D developmental program.
With the Falcons at 6-4 and on their bye week, let’s look at how the six players – defensive end/linebacker Vic Beasley, running back Tevin Coleman, defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, cornerback Jalen Collins, wide receiver Justin Hardy and defensive back Robenson Therezie — have fared this season.
Here's a look at the development of wide receiver Justin Hardy:
He was a fourth-round pick in 2015 and hasn’t hit his stride yet.
He caught 21 of 36 targeted passes as a rookie and scored two touchdowns. He’s had only 13 targets and for 10 catches and 83 yards. Taylor Gabriel, a late add on a waiver claim, has earned the third wide receiver slot.
“He’s been asked to contribute more on teams,” Quinn said. “The nice part about him as a receiver (is that he can) go in for Julio (Jones), (Mohamed Sanu) or for Gabe. He’s able to play all three spots, which isn’t the easiest thing to do.”
[cmg_cinesport url="http://cinesport.ajc.com/embed/ajc-nfl-atlanta-falcons/d-led-where-falcons-fit-nfc/"]
The Falcons are 6-4 at the bye and have a major issue to figure out moving forward. The AJC’s D. Orlando Ledbetter and Noah Coslov get into that and the Falcons place amongst the NFC’s best.
Ryan, offense slowed down to a crawl
Perkins stalls key drive with costly penalty
Defense gets blown of the line of scrimmage
Keanu Neal can expect fine but Falcons' biggest issue is injuries (Trufant and Tamme)
Falcons go into bye week wrong way -- beat up by Eagles
What Dan Quinn had to say after the loss to the Eagles
What the Falcons had to say after the loss to the Eagles
PHOTOS: Falcons fall to the Eagles
GAME NINE: Falcons 43, Buccaneers 28
5 things we learned from the Falcons' rout of the Bucs
GAME EIGHT: Falcons 33, Packers 32
5 things we learned from the Falcons' 33-32 win over the Packers
Finally, the Falcons finish: 'We had to stop the bleeding'
GAME SEVEN: Chargers 33, Falcons 30 in OT
5 things we learned from the Falcons loss to the Chargers
Dan Quinn's gamble with house-money backfires
6 penalties 'unacceptable' for Falcons offensive line
Philip Rivers confounds Falcons with short passes: 'He picked us apart'
Matt Ryan's late-game interception leads to overtime loss
PHOTOS: Chargers rally to beat Falcons
GAME SIX: Seahawks 26, Falcons 24
5 things we learned from the Falcons loss to the Seahawks
MARK BRADLEY: The Falcons didn't win, but they made one guy believe (me)
MARK BRADLEY: The Falcons got jobbed but did themselves proud
Matt Ryan's turnovers were costly
What Dan Quinn had to say after the 26-24 loss to Seattle
Seattle slows down Falcons' running backs Freeman, Coleman
Ryan Schraeder, offensive line rebounds in second half
Julio Jones: 'It was just a missed call'
What the Falcons had to say after the 26-24 loss to Seattle
What Matt Ryan had to say after the 26-24 loss to Seattle
Richard Sherman non-commital on pass interference non-call
PHOTOS: Falcons at Seahawks in Seattle
GAME FIVE: Falcons 23, Broncos 16
5 things we learned from the Falcons upset of Super Bowl champs
MARK BRADLEY: The Falcons rock a rookie in the Rockies
What Dan Quinn have to say after the win over Denver
Coleman amassed 163 yards to power the offense
Vic Beasley has breakout game with 3.5 sacks
Kemal Ishmael moved to linebacker, led team in tackles
What the Falcons had to say after the win over the Broncos
Photos: Falcons battle the Broncos
GAME FOUR: Falcons 48, Panthers 33
5 things we learned from the Falcons' 48-33 win over the Panthers
Tweetcap: Falcons 48, Panthers 33
Old pro Freeney shows new trick with Falcons
Falcons' rookie Neal holds on vs. Olsen
What Julio Jones had to say after the 48-33 win over the Panthers
What Dan Quinn had to say after the 48-33 win over the Panthers
What Matt Ryan had to say after the 48-33 win over the Panthers
Alford battled; Collins to return
Early view in NFC South isn't what most expected; Falcons on top
GAME THREE: Falcons 45, Saints 32
5 things we learned from the Falcons' 45-32 win over the Saints
Falcons, Saints protest with unity circle before game
REPORT CARD: Falcons earned high marks for drubbing Saints
What Dan Quinn had to say after the 45-32 win over the Saints
What Matt Ryan had to say after the 45-32 win over the Saints
What the Falcons had to say after the 45-32 win over the Saints
Keanu Neal makes strong debut for Falcons
Falcons' Deion Jones runs for glory, not survival, in return home
AJC POWER RANKINGS: Falcons best in NFC South?
GAME TWO: Falcons 35, Raiders 28
5 things we learned from the Falcons' win over the Raiders
Trufant's heads-up play saves the day
Tight ends help to power offense
Weatherspoon plays strong in first start since 2013
Matthews, Schraeder held Mack sack-less
JEFF SCHULTZ: Falcons put on offensive show and win
What Matt Ryan had to say after beating the Raiders
What Dan Quinn had to say after the win over the Raiders
GAME ONE: Buccaneers 31, Falcons 24
5 things we learned from the Falcons' loss to the Bucs
No sacks for new-look Falcons pass rush
Julio Jones not worried about his ankle injury
Falcons have a case of the "no-huddle" blues
REPORT CARD: Falcons can't 'gift' opponents 17 points
FILM REVIEW: Beasley missing in action
About the Author
