The Falcons shocked their fan base when they traded for Matthew Judon a couple of weeks before the start of the 2024 campaign. It’s been the longest-standing weakness for the organization, but the pass rush didn’t look much improved against the Steelers in Week 1.
Against a make-shift Pittsburgh offensive line, Atlanta only pressured Justin Fields five times, with Judon accounting for one of them. They did record two sacks, 0.5 of which was attributed to Judon and the other 1.5 going to Grady Jarrett.
That’s not to say it can’t get better over the course of the season. Teams, especially different facets of the team, evolve; however, there might be an opportunity to upgrade the pass rush once again.
The entire offseason surrounded the Falcons’ quest for a pass rusher. While Judon was high on the list, Haason Reddick was higher, and he might be available again. According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, multiple NFL executives believe the Jets don’t have a choice and must trade him.
“Not sure they have a choice,” an NFC executive said about New York attempting to trade Reddick closer to the trade deadline. “They wouldn’t get similar value back [a third-rounder], but it would be hard [for the Jets] to pay him at this point, and he clearly doesn’t want to be there. Both sides badly mismanaged the situation.”
Reddick and the Jets seem to be dug into their sides as the All-Pro pass rusher remains on the reserve/did not report list. Since being traded from the Eagles, Reddick has accumulated more than $5 million in fines, including a $791,666 game check from Week 1. He wants to be paid, and the Jets aren’t going to do it. Whichever team trades for him will certainly have to give him a new deal, unlike Matt Judon and the Falcons.
“Teams will be nervous to make a trade for such a player if they don’t want to pay him,” a separate NFC exec said. “That was my first thought when Atlanta traded for [Matthew Judon], but it looks like he’s comfortable playing it out, so I guess it’s different. But if you make that move, you have to be prepared to do a deal in most cases.”
The assumption was that Atlanta would indeed have a new contract in place with Judon, but the veteran pass rusher didn’t demand one, coming with an atypical “they don’t who I am just yet” kind of mindset. It’s very rare for a player to demand a trade from one club because of contract reasons and not get a new deal from the acquiring team.
However, if the Falcons thought they could trade for Reddick and pay him, they should absolutely do so. This is a guy who hasn’t recorded fewer than 11 sacks since 2019, including 27 over the last two seasons. They might not be able to afford both Judon and Reddick, so paying the younger, more productive one seems more logical.
The Falcons have to fill the void this offseason anyway. They might as well just pay one or both right now and get ahead of free agency, especially if Haason Reddick is only going to cost less than a third-round pick.
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Photographer: Kyle Ross/Icon Sportswire
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