The Falcons are returning nine total sacks from the edge position.
Arnold Ebiketie notched six, and Lorenzo Carter added three sacks while DeAngelo Malone put up a big nothing burger. For a team with championship aspirations, that’s not good enough.
The Falcons gave $180 million to Kirk Cousins, signaling to the rest of the league that they believe they’re contenders, whether you think they are or not. With Cousins in the fold, the organization believes they’re contenders.
However, with their current pass rush, this is a Falcons team that looks a lot like the ones from the Matt Ryan era. Ones that could score with any but couldn’t stop a nosebleed.
The Falcons have to add to the pass rush, more than anything, but Bleacher Report believes they should trade Lorenzo Carter to the Dolphins.
Miami Dolphins edge-rushers Bradley Chubb (torn ACL) and Jaelan Phillips (torn Achilles) are coming off second-half season-ending injuries. They may not be at full strength for Week 1 of the upcoming term.
The Dolphins have signed edge-rusher Shaquil Barrett, who can fill in gaps for their starters on the mend, but he’s going into his age-32 campaign and saw a significant drop-off in production after his injury-riddled 2022 term.
Miami can make sure it has insurance for Chubb and Phillips with another veteran addition to its pass-rushing group.
Lorenzo Carter can help Barrett patch up the Dolphins’ pass rush. Though he’s been an inefficient starter, he carved out a decent role as a rotational defender with the Atlanta Falcons last year.
Over the previous three years, the 28-year-old has lined up at inside and outside linebacker, logging 143 tackles, 18 for loss, 42 pressures and 12 sacks.
The Dolphins can acquire the Georgia product to generate a spark in their third-down pass rush and supplement the run defense.
As the Falcons go through coaching staff changes, Carter could be available for a sixth-round pick. If that’s the case, the Dolphins should inquire about him.
The Falcons need to add to the edge room, not subtract from it. Lorenzo Carter isn’t the answer to the pass rush, but the veteran certainly isn’t the problem. The exact reason the Dolphins should be interested in Carter, according to Bleacher Report, is the exact reason he should be kept in Atlanta.
Carter isn’t some premier sack artist, but he’s a competent defender at a position of need. He’s a rotational guy, and that’s valuable. The Falcons would be wise to add to the position, though. Lorenzo Carter should be considered part of the solution, and this trade hypothetical benefits Miami much more than Atlanta.
What do you think about a potential Falcons trade of the former UGA star?
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Photographer: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
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