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The rapid-fire portion of free agency has passed and the 2019 NFL Draft is a bit over a month away. Blink your eyes and it’ll be rookie minicamp time. Folks, we’re slowly emerging from the offseason doldrums, so read on for Falcons news and story lines in Thursday’s edition of Falcoholinks.
Bruce is Loose
The Falcons brought in veteran defender Bruce Irvin midway through the 2018 season to add some oomph to an anemic pass-rush, and while he didn’t light the world on fire he proved a useful rotational piece along the line. For a team aching for any semblance of production on its defensive front, Irvin’s services were definitely appreciated. For that reason, it seemed likely that the team would elect to bring him back for the upcoming year.
That was not to be, as Irvin was signed to a one-year contract with the rival Carolina Panthers. In fact, Atlanta reportedly did not attempt to retain him.
The Falcons’ young pass-rushers could greatly benefit from a veteran presence on the defensive line, and with the Dolphins looking to deal Robert Quinn, one has to wonder if Atlanta is in the mix. Familiar face Adrian Clayborn is also a distinct possibility.
MOOOOOOOCK
If you’re up to your eyeballs in mock drafts already, you know that Houston defensive tackle Ed Oliver has been penciled in as Atlanta’s pick a billion times. It’s almost become an exercise in repetitive prediction — “Oh, another mock. Let’s see if it’s ... yep Ed Oliver.”
Well not this one!
A new face appears in SB Nation’s latest mock draft, so indulge your curiosities with a bit of a change of pace right here. Of course, the team has already met with one of this guy’s defensive counterparts a couple of times.
Destination: Atlanta
The Falcons may have spent the bulk of their available free agency cash, but that hasn’t stopped some NFL agents from weighing in on the most popular destinations for their clients.
Dallas tops the list, with Atlanta following closely behind.
Atlanta has an established music scene, a handful of colleges and universities, and more Waffle Houses per capita than any other city represented by an NFL team. Checks out.
Breaking Down a New Acquisition
James Carpenter became one of the newest Atlanta Falcons last week, brought in to add some heft to an offensive line that under-performed in 2018. At 6’5”, 321, Carpenter is a different build at guard than we’re used to under the Quinn regime.
For that reason, The Falcoholic’s Allen Strk took a deep dive into what Carpenter’s signing means for Atlanta’s offensive front. This is must-read stuff, so be sure to get up to speed on the Falcons’ new face.