It seems impossible this won't be the offseason the Atlanta Falcons finally land a star pass rusher. Not only is the position appear to be deep in this year's draft class, free agent and trade targets continue to grow. Joining the long list of possible offseason targets is Bengals star Trey Hendrickson and former Charger star Joey Bosa. The Chargers released Bosa in a cap-saving move as head coach Jim Harbaugh continues to build the team. Bosa will have a long list of potential suitors including the Atlanta Falcons.
While Bosa hasn't been consistent throughout his career, the pass rusher has amassed 72.0 sacks and 156 quarterback hits in his career. The Chargers opting to move on isn't completely a red flag when you look at Bosa's contract in contrast to the past two seasons of production. The Chargers made the needed move despite losing one of their stars.
Joey Bosa only makes sense for Atlanta if a deal isn't top of the market value
If the Falcons are going to spend top dollar for the position, they would be far wiser to attempt to land Trey Hendrickson or Khalil Mack. A big piece of why the Chargers made the difficult move is how inconsistent Bosa has been the past few seasons. Atlanta is already questioning GM Terry Fontenot and his ability to rebuild the defense.
Fontenot needs a slam dunk signing and if the team is going to pay top dollar that isn't Joey Bosa. The star is only a fit for the Falcons if the flooded market and step back in production changes what contracts are being offered.
Bosa's name alone does have impact in potential deals and the Falcons need to be wary of this. As great as the pass rusher has been, Atlanta needs to consider the risks of any potential deal. As enticing as the fit could be, it is one of the bigger risks the team could take this offseason.
