Falcons claim tackle Chuma Edoga off waivers from Jets

The Atlanta Falcons have made two waivers claims to fill needs on the roster, and inevitably, one of them was along the offensive line. Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the team claimed former New York Jets tackle Chuma Edoga off waivers, with a corresponding cut not yet known.

Rapoport says that Edoga will come in and compete for the right tackle spot held currently by Kaleb McGary. It’s more likely Edoga will start his time in Atlanta as a valuable reserve, one who could step in at left tackle should something happen to Jake Matthews. He has experience playing both tackle spots, which Germain Ifedi does not.

Per our Kevin Knight, Edoga has posted respectable grades (60) on Pro Football Focus in the past two seasons after being drafted by the Jets in 2019 in the third round. Kevin also points out that Edoga might come in immediately and give the team a very solid run blocker, which seems to be a major focus for this regime going forward.

The Falcons cutting Rick Leonard did open up a hole at the swing tackle spot behind Matthews, and Edoga will step in right away and help give the team some stability there. Though, it’s hard to ignore Rapaport saying that he will compete at right tackle, which would be our first indicator in a good while McGary’s still on the hot seat.

If Edoga surpasses McGary this season, it would likely mean the former first-round tackle will be on the outs with Atlanta after the 2022 season. That might already be a given after the team opted not to pick up his fifth-year option after three seasons of up-and-down play, but it seemed like McGary had easily won the job, and it would be difficult to imagine him losing it now. Edoga will also be a free agent after the season ends.

There’s one other waiver claim to talk about and we’ll have an article shortly, so sit back and look for that, plus more updates on the practice squad.