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The biggest news of the week so far is our lead-off story in Thursday’s edition of Falcoholinks. Read on to get caught up.
Falcons decline Takkarist McKinley’s 5th-year option
Ever active on social media, Falcons defensive end Takk McKinley tweeted on Wednesday that the Falcons had declined to pick up his fifth-year option. Dan Quinn hinted at the 2020 NFL Combine that this was the direction that the team was heading, but was then corrected by Thomas Dimitroff that no decision had been made.
The team confirmed that decision a few hours after McKinley’s Twitter announcement.
This means that 2020 is likely Takk’s final season in Atlanta, or if the two sides are at an impasse in the relationship they could elect to trade him.
We’ll keep a close eye on this one for further developments.
Comparing the arrivals of Terrell and Trufant
Falcons’ draft addition A.J. Terrell became just the third first-round cornerback that Atlanta has selected since 2000, and the first they’ve drafted since Desmond Trufant in 2013. Naturally, there will be comparisons and parallels between each’s arrival, so we looked at the selection of Trufant and how it may set a template for Terrell’s career in Atlanta.
A reworked defensive line
With the free agent addition of Dante Fowler, the re-signing of Tyeler Davison, and the draft selection of Marlon Davidson, the Falcons’ defensive line will look different from 2019. How might they configure it for 2020?
A closer look at Mykal Walker
The Falcons snagged Fresno State linebacker Mykal Walker in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, and he’s expected to immediately factor into special teams with a shot to eventually start. So what does this versatile linebacker bring to Atlanta’s defense?
Uniform history
Want to take a nostalgic walk through all of the iterations of Falcons uniforms? Our latest piece looks at every era of Atlanta Falcons jerseys — be sure to vote on your favorite.
The Falcoholic Live Ep. 104
Kevin Knight and Co. discussed the draft and some of Atlanta’s recent UDFA additions. If you didn’t catch the live show, you can watch the full recap right here.