Getty One Broncos edge-rusher who could be available for trade is a good fit for the Atlanta Falcons.
The Atlanta Falcons have worked hard to beef up their pass rush, but a team that logged an NFL-low 18 sacks last season can’t have enough capable edge-rushers.
It means there’s still room for another outside linebacker alongside veterans Lorenzo Carter and Adetokunbo Ogundeji, as well as rookies Arnold Ebiketie and DeAngelo Malone. Fortunately, this is the right time of year to go looking for extra help at key positions.
Teams are preparing to trim their rosters to 53 players, and some franchises may even still try to trade viable assets. One such team is the Denver Broncos, who have a surfeit of edge-rushers and can spare a former undrafted free agent who has produced in recent seasons, according to one writer.
Broncos Edge Worth a Late-Round Draft Pick for Falcons
Malik Reed could find himself on the trading block before final cuts. He’s the odd man out in a crowded rotation, per Bleacher Report’s Ian Wharton: “Denver will be just fine with Bradley Chubb, Randy Gregory, Baron Browning, Jonathon Cooper and Nik Bonitto. Gregory just signed with the Broncos for $70 million, and Bonitto was selected as a second-round pick. Browning converted from off-ball linebacker to the edge.”
Wharton believes Reed is expendable and could help the Broncos plug gaps elsewhere on the roster: “Denver would benefit more from getting an asset for its sixth pass-rusher over keeping him in case of injury. Considering the Broncos’ need at receiver after injuries struck, it’s possible they could swap Reed for one of the other playmakers on this list.”
While the Broncos might need more wide receivers, the Falcons could use another useful presence on the edge of their front seven. The team is expected to carry just four edge-rushers, according to ESPN’s Michael Rothstein and Josh Kendall of The Athletic.
That’s a risky proposition for the most sack-shy team in football. Carter never logged more than five sacks in a season during four years with the New York Giants, while Ebiketie and Malone have yet to play a single down of meaningful action at the pro level.
Reed has a better track record, having notched eight sacks in 2020. The number fell to five last season, but the 26-year-old has proven he can win with speed around the corner, like he did on this takedown of Ben Roethlisberger against the Pittsburgh Steelers:
The Broncos coverage on Malik Reed’s strip sack was airtight.
Speed and power have been in short supply in the Falcons’ pass-rush department during recent seasons. Those qualities will remain unknown before players like Ebiketie and Malone reach their potential.
Falcons Edge-Rushers Have a Lot to Prove
Carter got a one-year, prove-it deal in free agency, a familiar challenge for the Falcons’ pass-rushers headed into this season. There’s no denying Carter’s potential, but he isn’t being counted on to be a mere supporting piece in Atlanta.
Neither is Ebiketie, the team’s second-round pick this year. The former Penn State standout represents the best hope for the Falcons to put a highly-disruptive edge-rusher on the field.
That’s what defensive coordinator Dean Pees needs to make his system work. A pass-rusher offenses fear and have to gameplan to stop.
Those who fit in that category generate pressure consistently, something Smart Football’s Adam Carter noted Ebiketie did during preseason:
Preseason pass rush win rate..
Kingsley Jonathan, 22.6%
Nik Bonitto, 22.2%
George Karlaftis, 18.4%
Arnold Ebiketie, 17.9%
Jermaine Johnson, 17.4%
Travon Walker, 16.7%
Kayvon Thibodeaux, 16.7%
Drake Jackson, 13.5%
Sam Williams, 13.2%
Boye Mafe, 6.5%
Doing the same thing when the games matter is the next vital step for Ebiketie and the rest of Atlanta’s primary edge-rushers. Pees and his staff will believe it can happen, but their confidence will only be strengthened if the Falcons add another player with a proven ability for getting to the quarterback.
Reed fits the bill and is surely worth the Falcons offering a sixth- or seventh-round choice in next year’s draft.