A Potential Falcons Free Agent: Safety Chinedum Ndukwe

by Dave Choate on May 22, 2011 8:00 AM EDT in Editorial

ATLANTA - OCTOBER 24: Jason Snelling #44 of the Atlanta Falcons is tackled by Chinedum Ndukwe #41 of the Cincinnati Bengals at Georgia Dome on October 24 2010 in Atlanta Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

It's not exactly on top of the team's priority list, but I'm still skeptical of the idea that the Atlanta Falcons will go into 2011 with only Rafael Bush and Shann Schillinger as backup safeties.

The reasons for my skepticism are twofold. One, the Falcons know that Thomas DeCoud faltered a bit in 2010 and William Moore comes equipped with a significant injury history. As talented as they are, you don't want to back that duo up with two unproven players. Two, the team has plenty of cap room under a new collective bargaining agreement, and that gives them room to address the relatively cheap position of safety easily.

So I'm bringing up Chinedum Ndukwe, who will likely be a free agent under a new CBA. Ndukwe is 26 years old, has 181 tackles, 7.5 sacks, 18 passes defensed and six interceptions in pieces of four seasons, some of them as a starter. At an imposing 6'2", 224 pounds, Ndukwe is extremely solid in tackling and is far from an embarrassment in pass coverage.

Look, I don't think this guy is a magic bullet for the pass defense or anything like that. I'm simply advocating for him as a talented, reasonably priced super-backup at both safety spots. I think he could be lured to Atlanta and would be an immediate upgrade, allowing Schillinger to concentrate on special teams, where he's a beast. We'll have to wait until free agency to see if this is even being discussed in the war room at Flowery Branch, but I do think it makes some sense.

What say you?

Tweet Comment 30 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

I've recently had an interesting thought,

Just because the players are locked out, and the coaches are not supposed to have any sort of contact with the players, doesn’t mean that they haven’t had any contact with each other. What I mean by that is, I wonder if TD and Smitty might have put their heads together and maybe targeted some players for TRADES. They could go so far as to call other coaches/GM’s and work out the deals just holding off on finalizing it until the labor situation is resolved.

by GA-James on May 22, 2011 8:53 AM EDT reply actions

That is not allowed either

Even discussing player trades is a violation of the lockout.

by Mosugo on May 22, 2011 9:52 AM EDT up reply actions

I'd bet money you couldn't find one team who isn't violating the lockout rules almost daily.

Mike Freeman of CBS sports has an interesting article on that subject.

Over a two-week period, I spoke with a half-dozen players and handful of assistant coaches from both conferences. The picture that emerges is one where coaches and players, despite rules against it, stay in almost weekly contact with one another using a variety of technologie.

While lockout rules are supposed to prevent contact between players and coaches, when it comes to the team workouts, both sides are utilizing Skype, e-mail, text-messaging and good, old-fashioned phone calls to update coaches on the progress of group workouts, what players are doing to stay in shape and even personal issues….

Several players estimated 25 percent of the league’s players are in regular contact with assistant coaches. However not one player said he had spoken to a head coach. It seems the head coaches, while aware of the contact, are keeping their distance and allowing subordinates to speak with players on their behalf, several sources stated. Plausible deniability, said one assistant.

The League supposedly investigated these and similar accusations and didn’t find a single violation. Which would be funny if it wasn’t so much of a joke.

The only good news is that the Falcons are likely engaging in similar violations so when we finally do have football, we shouldn’t be any more behind than other franchises.

by Leon07 on May 22, 2011 11:21 AM EDT up reply actions

Talking to players is different from talking to other teams though

Another team might rat you out for a competitive advantage, a player wouldn’t.

by Mosugo on May 22, 2011 5:58 PM EDT up reply actions

I love this pick.

My favorite “potential falcons free agent” so far. So much so that I will be somewhat disappointed if we don’t snag him up.

Just curious what this board would wind up nicknaming him if we did sign the guy.

by FLA_Falcon on May 22, 2011 10:02 AM EDT via mobile reply actions

Definitely

I’ve said all along they need to add a safety ever since they announced they were releasing Coleman. I think a strong backup would be a good choice for the position.

How can you not love Willy Mo? You know he’s going to go head on at 90mph at least a dozen times during the season but knowing how valuable he is you just cringe everytime you see it. I think he’s the hardest playing Falcon right now next to Predator.

by BigFalcon84 on May 22, 2011 10:11 AM EDT reply actions

A good option

another option is DeAndre McDaniel from Clemson. He is an UDFA I believe.

by mwalex on May 22, 2011 10:54 AM EDT reply actions

I forgot about him

There are a lot of UDFA who could make an impact on our team whenever FA rolls around. McDaniel has some potential.

by saipol on May 22, 2011 1:05 PM EDT up reply actions

I still do not forgive him for what he do to one of my beloved Georgia Tech player

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aPaqjNyo4Y&feature=related

I would love to have him on the team, but I don’t know if I can forgive him for that.

Ron Artest = Ron (sm)Artest - He Is The Most Interesting Man In The World

by JoshChildressAfroIsCure4Cancer on May 22, 2011 12:00 PM EDT reply actions

If Ray Edwards is considered a done deal and there's a plan in place for the O-line

Then a backup safety needs to be this team’s next priority. Not Bush, not Schill, not a UDFA, but a guy who has played safety in this league that they can count on in a bind and isn’t a complete unknown. This team is too deep at too many positions to have to look at the Jamaal Fudges of the world when it has an injury at safety.

by JMar99 on May 22, 2011 1:02 PM EDT reply actions

This would be too expensive of a player to sign for a backup role. It would make little sense, especially after releasing Erik Coleman.

"In a dog eat dog world, you must have the mentality of a Pit Bull." -Phil Jackson

by waltbabyluv on May 22, 2011 1:50 PM EDT reply actions

DeAndre mcdanials

would be a great sign he was ncaa leading active career interception holder his time at clemson guys a ball hawk with loads of potential matter fact the only known weakness of his is he doesnt have great straight line speed but the guy makes plays

by mistab50 on May 22, 2011 3:30 PM EDT reply actions

call me crazy for this

but on another note we have a question mark at the nickel cornerback what about…chris houston i know he was bad but he always has had the talent and i dont see the lions signing him back and he can possibly be shut down in nickel what do you think

by mistab50 on May 22, 2011 5:55 PM EDT reply actions

Gawd no.

And I’m willing to bet he wouldn’t wanna come back after he was traded for a bag of marbles and a salt shaker. Would you?

Rule #1: Double tap.

by Ball Hawk on May 22, 2011 8:38 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Are you serious?

We let him go because he wasn’t getting it done after five years. Why would ATL bring him back?

by mwalex on May 23, 2011 12:24 AM EDT up reply actions

because

while he was here he was our most talented corner…which isnt saying much but he just isnt a number1 but as a number 3 who knows

by mistab50 on May 23, 2011 3:52 PM EDT up reply actions

He was not the most talented corner while with ATL.

I’m not sure where that came from. At best he was always #2 or #3.

by mwalex on May 23, 2011 4:35 PM EDT up reply actions

it only seemed that way

because he was covering the 1 recievers for his last couple years here and i take that back he was then number 2 corner for most of his years here but he finished as the number 1 but i think any player that can even be considered as a number 1 corner for any team should be well able to be the number 3 in my opinion

by mistab50 on May 24, 2011 11:13 AM EDT up reply actions

I wouldn't take the Texans no.1 corner as our no.3

by Mosugo on May 24, 2011 3:05 PM EDT up reply actions

Come on man!!

There are so many others that we can choose before Houston

by Fear Me on May 23, 2011 9:48 AM EDT up reply actions

Question about Ndukwe

Does he have the top end speed to be a nickel back? That would be awesome.

Our secondary would be stronger if we can get Grimes, DR, Ndukwe, C4, and DeCoud all on the field at once.

by ndnpride8806 on May 22, 2011 7:23 PM EDT reply actions

Nah.

Doom’s best feature is his run support—he’s borderline elite in that regard. Seriously, one of the best run defending safeties. But he’s awful at covering, moreso than his stats suggest. He can do it in the short, short-intermediate range but anything longer and he will get burnt repeatedly.

by Doc Scratch on May 23, 2011 12:23 AM EDT up reply actions

In my opinion, he’s way more of a run stuffer and pass rusher than he is a coverage DB. So probably not an ideal nickel back.

by JMar99 on May 22, 2011 9:28 PM EDT reply actions

The whom would you suggest?

by mwalex on May 23, 2011 12:25 AM EDT up reply actions

He's depth, albeit great depth.

I’m glad we’ve had him because he filled in well when Roy Williams went down in ‘09 but I’ll be damned to say you should be considering him as a longterm starter unless your guy is that bad.

by Doc Scratch on May 23, 2011 12:24 AM EDT reply actions