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2013 NFL Free Agency: Falcons Sign Osi Umenyiora To Two-Year Deal

It finally happened. Osi Umenyiora is a Dirty Bird.

By Dave Choate
Al Bello

Osi Umenyiora did not find a robust market for his services, but he has found a home with the Atlanta Falcons.

Jay Glazer broke the news Wednesday night that Umenyiora agreed to a two-year deal. The 31-year-old defensive end spent 10 years with the New York Giants and racked up 75 sacks in 129 regular season games (he missed all of 2008). Here are the contract numbers from Adam Schefter.

This deal will turn on whether Umenyiora's 2012 was an unfortunate blip or the start of the decline phase of his career. When healthy, Osi has been a classic pass rusher in the John Abraham mold, concentrating heavily on chasing the quarterback and serving as only an average asset against the run. When healthy and effective, he has an array of moves and a knack for pushing into the backfield and contributing hurries, hits and sacks. When he's not, he's at best a rotational end who has flashes of excellence, and a complementary piece who is next to useless against the run.

Big Blue View Scouts Osi Umenyiora

 Osi Umenyiora, at 31, is still a premier pass-rusher. What you learn with Osi is that he really isn't much more than that. He's a one-trick pony. An outside speed rusher who still has a great burst and still excels at beating a tackle around the corner and getting to the quarterback. He excels at the strip-sack, flying past the quarterback and swatting the ball away. He has forced 32 fumbles in his career, most by doing exactly that. The problem with Umenyiora is that he is not a good run defender. Teams who run at Umenyiora usually find success -- like I said, he's a speed guy and not a guy who has ever really committed to anchoring at the line of scrimmage. Plus, he has a habit of trying to fly quickly off the line, getting up the field, forgetting his run responsibility and getting beaten to the inside. All of that said, he can be a game-changer. Because of his ability to get around the corner and create turnovers he can -- and will -- make plays on occasion that can change games. He will make the game-changing, highlight play and sometimes that's enough to make you forgive his other flaws.

Considering the Falcons had only three defensive ends under contract before now—and two were players who have never started a game in the NFL—adding veteran help was always going to be a priority. Umenyiora will hopefully serve as a steadying veteran presence for the young ends as well as a contributor to the pass rush, and hopefully he'll be a nice fit for the team culture, as well.

Even if Umenyiora can't do more than the six sacks or so he put up a year ago, Mike Nolan will make good use of him. Because he's just 31 years old, Osi might still have a few good seasons left in him, and let's hope the Falcons get all of them. Pencil him in to split snaps with Kroy Biermann and Jonathan Massaquoi for now, but the Falcons are almost certainly not done adding talent to the position through the draft and potentially even free agency.

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