It’s just getting comical at this point with the Falcons.
Arthur Blank, Terry Fontenot, and Raheem Morris signaled to the entire league that they believe their club is in a position to compete for a championship when they signed Kirk Cousins to a $180 million contract.
The offense looks like it should be a top 10 unit on paper, but the same cannot be said for the other side of the ball, and it all stems from the pass rush. The edge unit is comprised of a former second-round pick in Arnold Ebiketie, who put up six sacks last year, Lorenzo Carter, who is a rotational player at this point, and DeAngelo Malone, who has yet to log significant snaps since being drafted a couple of years ago.
The Falcons seemingly refuse to upgrade the position, and have balked at opportunities to do so. Fontenot has inquired about potential blockbuster trades, like Brian Burns and Montez Sweat, but to no avail.
I wouldn’t have as big of an issue with the pass rush if… 1) the Falcons actually took swings to do so and 2) didn’t sign Kirk Cousins. With a win-now quarterback, this is the time to push their chips in the middle.
Like I said to begin this piece, it’s comical. So much so, the Falcons actually own the longest streak in the NFL without a 10+ sack season from a player.
Morning trivia: What NFL team has gone the longest without a player getting at least 10 sacks in a season? There were 19 teams with one last year, and all but five teams have had one in the last three years …
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) April 2, 2024
Vic Beasley was the last Falcons player to record 10+ sacks, in which he led the league in sacks en route to All-Pro honors, which we now know was nothing more than a flash in a pan.
What’s worse is Atlanta is not only sticking with the status quo from 2023, but they’re actively worse. The defense’s co-sack leaders — Calais Campbell and Bud Dupree — are sitting on the free agent market.
Of course, a defense’s pass rush is a yin and yang. It takes two to tango. A team must have pressure and coverage. So, if the Falcons had an elite secondary, I’d back off of this tirade, but the Falcons have question marks in the secondary too!
A.J. Terrell and Jessie Bates are the only proven commodities, then there’s just a whole bunch of hoping and praying with Richie Grant, DeMarcco Hellams, Mike Hughes, Dee Alford, and Clark Phillips.
Hope is not a strategy, my friends. The Falcons need to improve this defense, even if they don’t end the embarrassing streak of not having a player with 10 or more sacks.
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Photographer: David John Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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