Falcons sign swing tackle candidate Austin Pasztor, per his agent

The Falcons have a ton of swing tackle candidates, but to this point, no veteran ones who seemed head and shoulders above the others. After looking at those candidates throughout the summer and through the first week of preseason, the team has apparently decided they needed to add a veteran to the mix.

I’ll be blunt: Austin Pasztor will probably win this job, assuming the Falcons aren’t pulling the rug out from under us and using him at guard.

Pasztor, 26, is listed at 6’7” and about 308 pounds, and has pretty quick feet for a tackle. He has had an up and down career to this point and has his struggles, especially with quick edge rushers, but he’s also started 43 games since entering the league way back in 2012, and is at least at the very least a solid backup tackle. Considering his primary competition is a gang of undrafted free agents, former UDFA and veteran Kevin Graf, and recently converted tight end D.J. Tialavea, this should more or less be a slam dunk.

The Falcons will probably still keep at least one of those UDFAs on the practice squad to give them tackle depth, and they’ll have a chance to compete over the next three weeks for that honor. But unless Pasztor really flames out or gets hurt, he’s a strong favorite to be the team’s latest veteran swing tackle. Honestly, he’s probably more experienced—and talented—than anyone else the team has tried in that role in recent years, so I support the signing.

Welcome to Atlanta, Austin Pasztor!