Matt Ryan: Falcons line “a work in progress”

[Freddie Falcon]

It’s reasonable to think the Falcons offense might not be clicking at the moment, with wide receivers Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley on the sidelines.

But they’re also getting used to a new look up front, after their offseason rebuild of the offensive line.

After spending in free agency on James Carpenter and Jamon Brown, the Falcons used a pair of first-round picks on Chris Lindstrom and Kaleb McGary as they worked to protect quarterback Matt Ryan a little better. Given that turnover, expecting a smooth transition would be unfair.

“You’ve got four news guys in the building that are talented, tough and add to the unit as a whole,” Ryan said, via D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Right now, it’s a work in progress. We are figuring out who fits well together and who fits where. I’m just happy with the way those guys are approaching it, working it and competing in a good way to make us better.

“Guys have worked really hard, but we’ve got a long way to go to be the kind of football team that we want to be. We’ve got a lot of hard work in front of us.”

By playing in the Hall of Fame Game Thursday, the Falcons had an extra week of work. But during recent scrimmages, the first offense has been unable to sustain drives, suggesting the extra time is needed.