Falcons going easy on Patterson

Falcons RB Cordarrelle Patterson admitted that he was “banged up” and unable to play the way he wanted to late last season. C-Pat easily set a career high with 205 touches last year, and the Falcons are happy to limit his offseason reps. In fact, the 31-year-old sat out OTAs/minicamp and has been limited in training camp. “He’s got good work habits,” HC Arthur Smith said in camp. “Everybody is in different parts of their careers. With CP, where he is, at the usage rate he had last year, we are trying to maximize him.” Patterson’s also hoping for more return opportunities, as he needs just one more kick return TD to break the NFL record. “I’ve got a record to break,” he said. “I need one more before I can hang it up. I get one more, I’ll stop doing it.”