Getty The Falcons' latest signing could see a 2nd-round draft pick cut.
Eddie Goldman’s arrival finally gave the Atlanta Falcons a free-agent upgrade for a suspect defensive line. The former Chicago Bears starter will make an impact in Atlanta, but his arrival could spell the end for a second-round pick of the Falcons.
That’s the view of one podcast host who has tipped this third-year defensive end to see a reduction in his playing time. The presence of Goldman and some other intriguing options could even lead to this once touted player being “flat out cut.”
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Goldman Arrival Bad News for One Falcon
The Falcons gave Goldman a one-year deal on Wednesday, July 6, per Scott Bair of the team’s official site. It could be the end of the line for Marlon Davidson, drafted 47th overall by the Falcons in 2020.
Goldman, who joins several former Bears on the roster, including Damiere Byrd, Nick Kwiatkoski and Damien Williams, can play end or nose tackle. Bair also noted how second-year man Anthony Rush is Atlanta’s “primary” option at the latter position.
Rush and Vincent Taylor, who was signed by the Falcons back in April, being on the roster means there’s a logjam at nose tackle. There’s also Ta’Quon Graham and re-signed Grady Jarrett, who is a lock to start.
Davidson looks like the odd man out, according Damski, co-host of The Falcons Nest Podcast:
Falcons DL has some fun versatility to it that I think ultimately leads to Marlon being a scratch most games or flat out cut
TQ can play anywhere from 0-5 tech
Vincent Taylor the same
Anthony Rush 0 to 2i
Eddie Goldman 0 to 3
Marlon Davidson 4i – 5
They went with pretty heavy
Damski’s reference to the players who can play 0-technique spells trouble for Davidson. The zero-tech is the defensive lineman who lines up directly over the center, a key position in defensive coordinator Dean Pees’ multiple 3-4 scheme.
Taylor, Rush and Goldman give Pees a plethora of options to anchor the front. Davidson is not in the mix because he plays five-technique over an offensive tackle.
Damski believes Pees will lean on heavier and more versatile personnel: “DL rotation last year and even with Tennessee/Baltimore Pees played more heavy so that’s been my biggest issue with Marlon is if he isn’t a pass rushing 5-tech he probably was gonna struggle to see serious playing time. Where the other guys can play multiple positions.”
It’s a reasonable argument when Goldman, Jarrett, Taylor and Graham can all play outside at end if necessary. Davidson doesn’t have to be the unlucky one, but Kevin Knight of The Falcoholic thinks the Falcons are more likely to suit up two nose tackles on game days, something Pees did last season:
Goldman signing isn’t necessarily an indictment of Anthony Rush. #Falcons activated two NTs (Rush and Mike Pennel) for seven games in 2021. Against run-heavy opponents, they could both be involved.
Surviving final cuts will require Davidson showing an increased aptitude for making big plays from his defensive end spot. History’s not on his side because he’s barely offered a credible pass-rush threat, logging just one sack in two seasons.
To his credit, Davidson did show a nose for the football by recovering a fumble last season, in addition to this pick-six against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 13:
OMG MARLON DAVIDSON PICK 6️⃣!
📺: FOX | @marlondavidson7
Davidson’s track record as a playmaker is a little light, but any such contributions are welcome for a defense that collected just 12 interceptions and a league-low 18 sacks last season.
Ultimately, Davidson’s future will depend on what impression Goldman makes this offseason. He needs to hit the ground running to salvage a career that’s stagnated in recent years.
Goldman Needs to Deliver
Life in the NFL began positively for Goldman after he was selected in the second round by the Bears in 2015. He started 12 games as a rookie and was on the field for every game when the Bears led the league in scoring defense in 2018.
Goldman’s performances went under the radar, but he was key to the success of the fearsome unit, according to Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times: “Though generally overlooked for league-wide honors, Goldman was considered one of the top run-stoppers in the NFL and was a Pro Bowl alternate at 25 in 2019.”
Stuffing the run remains a speciality of Goldman’s (91) game, like on this stop against the Minnesota Vikings:
Reminder that Eddie Goldman is a Falcon this morning
Aside from being able to wreck a ground game, Goldman is also a useful pass-rusher, with 13 sacks to his credit. That number is bad news for Davidson, who won’t keep his place on the roster if he can’t impact both phases of an offense the way Goldman can.
The Falcons will hope they’re getting this version of Goldman, not the version who floundered during 2021. Potash outlined Goldman’s recent struggles: “His career stalled after he opted out of the 2020 season because of concerns about the coronavirus. He returned last season, but did not have the same impact in an uneven-at-best season. He still started 10 of 14 games, but he ended up splitting time with seventh-round rookie Khyiris Tonga — who was getting the majority of the nose-tackle snaps by the end of the season.”
If Goldman can revive his career on Pees’ watch, the Falcons will have a lineman who can be moved to multiple spots along the front and target weak blockers. Leaving Goldman and Rush to stop the run would free Jarrett to be more of a factor in the pass rush, the true strength of his game.