In the wake of the Grady Jarrett injury, the Falcons quickly traded for Kentavius Street, sending the Eagles a sixth-round pick in exchange for the interior defender and a seventh-round pick.
It was a move that was necessary if the Falcons wanted to still make a push for the playoffs, and it’s one that makes a ton of sense, given the familiarity between Street and his former defensive line coach and Atlanta’s current defensive coordinator in Ryan Nielsen.
Kentavius Street began his career with the 49ers but signed a deal with the Saints, where he had the best campaign of his career under Nielsen in New Orleans. Seth Walder of ESPN graded the deal and gave both clubs a B grade.
The Falcons have a need at defensive tackle after Grady Jarrett suffered a season-ending ACL injury on Sunday. Ta’Quon Graham and LaCale London are potential replacements already on Atlanta’s roster, but neither have gotten a ton of playing time this season.
Despite the lack of production this year (four tackles), adding Street seems like a fine move to add some competition for a team that is trying to win its division. Street has produced before, accumulating 6.5 sacks the past two seasons. The cost for the Falcons is virtually nothing — a late-round draft pick swap for a player on a one-year deal worth just north of $1 million.
There really is minimal risk for the Falcons, who gave up a sixth-round pick in exchange for Street and a seventh-rounder. Moreover, with the Eagles, he was effectively a glorified reserve player. He should be fresh and ready to contribute significant snaps for the Falcons.
I even think handing Street a cheap contract extension should be in the cards. Atlanta doesn’t have much proven depth behind David Onyemata and Grady Jarrett, so he could provide a bit of stability at the position for what should be a relatively cheap contract.
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Photographer: Todd Kirkland/Icon Sportswire
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