Falcons fans have been asking for a consistent pass rusher for the last decade. Many thought Vic Beasley was going to be the guy to finally replace John Abraham, but he was nothing more than a flash in the pan.
The last time the Falcons had a double-digit sack season was eight years ago. Before that, it was 2012. Beasley and Abraham are the only two pass rushers that have posted double-digit sacks in the past 12 years.
That wasn’t going to change in 2024 under Raheem Morris either. The Falcons had an average pass rush last year at best, that was before the Grady Jarrett injury. What did the new regime do to upgrade the weakest facet of the team (outside of quarterback)?
The Falcons stuck with the status quo and replaced their co-sack leaders in Calais Campbell and Bud Dupree with three rookies in Ruke Orhorhoro, Bralen Trice, and Brandon Dorlus.
The Falcons are now in an even worse position. Bralen Trice has been lost for the season, and even though he wasn’t going to make or break Atlanta’s pass rush, the rookie third-round pick was expected to have a substantial impact on the defense this year.
So, what is Raheem Morris and Terry Fontenot’s plan to replace Trice? Hope. When asked, Morris told reporters that he hopes someone steps up behind Arnold Ebiketie and James Smith-Willaims.
Morris says he hopes someone steps up after Arnold Ebiketie and James Smith-Williams on the edge with the loss of Trice. #Falcons
— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) August 12, 2024
The Falcons edge unit looked bleak even before the Bralen Trice injury.
It consists of Lorenzo Carter, James Smith-Williams, and Arnold Ebiketie, along with a hodgepodge of unproven players in third-round pick DeAngelo Malone, Bradlee Anae, Demone Harris, and Kehinde Oginni Hassan.
That’s laughable for a Falcons team that claims it expects to win the NFC South and compete for a championship. We’ll see if a worthwhile move is coming to bolster the pass rush.
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Jordon Kelly/Icon Sportswire
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