The Falcons pursued Montez Sweat at the trade deadline but ultimately lost out to the Bears, who subsequently handed Sweat a lucrative four-year contract extension.
But he wasn’t the only pass rusher Atlanta inquired about. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Falcons were one of a handful of teams that reached out to the Panthers about the availability of Brian Burns.
Schefter notes that Carolina ‘shut down those teams just as quickly as they inquired’ and had no intention of trading him at all. He also added that at last year’s deadline, the Panthers declined a Rams offer of two first-round draft picks for Burns.
It would be strange if a team traded a star pass rusher or any player of that caliber within the division, so this isn’t all too surprising. Players like Brian Burns don’t grow on trees. I highly doubt the Panthers let him walk out of the building. They’ll franchise tag him if a long-term deal cannot get done.
The Falcons clearly feel this defense is missing a dominant pass rusher. Pursuing Montez Sweat and Brian Burns, who both need new contracts, tells me that Atlanta will be big game hunting this offseason.
The free agent class is absolutely loaded, so the Falcons will have options and the money to land one of several impact edge defenders. Obviously, some of these guys won’t hit the market at all, but here’s who headline the upcoming free agent class — Josh Uche, Danielle Hunter, Brian Burns, Derek Barnett, Josh Allen, Chase Young, Za’Darius Smith, Leonard Williams, and others.
I fully expect the Falcons to target one of the higher end free agents in the pass rush class. Their interest in Brian Burns and Montez Sweat further provides proof of that.
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Photographer: John Byrum/Icon Sportswire
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