Report: Atlanta Falcons want Malliciah Goodman to lose 25 pounds, shift back outside in 2015

NFL teams demand a lot from their players, and the Atlanta Falcons are no exception to that rule. From following a specific off-season training regimen to dancing an Irish jig on demand, if the team asks you to do it, then you'd better do it. That's especially true when you're a role player, fighting for snaps. And while the Falcons won't ask Malliciah Goodman to do an Irish jig on demand, they are asking him to change his body type and position. Again.

Remember last year when the Falcons told Goodman to gain a bunch of weight? Well now, with the new regime in place, they're changing course. Per Vaughn McClure, new head coach Dan Quinn and returning defensive line coach Bryan Cox have asked Goodman to shed 25 pounds with an eye towards moving him back outside.

Malliciah Goodman doesn't possess great speed, but the 6-foot-4 defensive lineman certainly has the length with 37-inch arms. Quinn obviously sees Goodman's value as a pass-rusher, which is why Goodman is in the process of dropping 25 pounds from his playing weight last year of 290. Remember, he bulked up to be more of a run-stuffer in last year's 3-4 hybrid system under Mike Nolan.

I'll give Goodman some credit, he's certainly willing to roll with the punches. It isn't easy to gain 25 pounds and then lose it, just one year later. Heck, I've been trying to lose the "freshman 20" for a decade. Goodman will have to forgo Five Guy's for the foreseeable future, opting instead for what equates to a wrestler's diet. Should he make weight, it sounds like Quinn will have a role for him.

If there was a knock on Goodman when he came out of college, it was his lack of elite athleticism. Critics raved about his hands, anchored by his freakishly long arms. They saw him as a bull rusher who would inevitably struggle if asked to change direction. To some degree, that's who Goodman will always be. But don't forget that he ran a 4.67 40 at his combine. Combine the weight loss with some Quinn-driven tutelage and he can certainly contribute.

Goodman isn't the answer at defensive end. Not even close. But if the Falcons can get 5-10 quality snaps from him a game, I'm happy. Your thoughts?