Atlanta offensive coordinator Dave Ragone suggested Thursday that Patterson -- who is listed as the No. 2 running back on the Falcons' unofficial depth chart -- would be involved in the game plan for Sunday's game against the Eagles, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.
Patterson has dabbled at both receiver and running back since entering the NFL in 2013, but the Falcons seemingly envision him lining up primarily out of the backfield after he inked a one-year, $3 million contract in March. Mike Davis will open the season as the Falcons' top running back, and while Davis' ability to play all three downs should allow him to see the lion's share of snaps and touches, McElhaney speculates that Patterson may fill a larger role as the No. 2 option than initially anticipated. Perhaps as a show of faith in Patterson, the Falcons waived 2019 fifth-round pick in Qadree Ollison coming out of the offseason, though the subsequent addition of Wayne Gallman will present some competition for Patterson once Gallman is fully up to speed with the new playbook.