The Falcons have a much improved defense from a year ago, at least on paper.
The team brought in Leonard Floyd, James Pearce Jr., and Jalon Walker to bolster the pass rush as well as Jordan Fuller, Xavier Watts, and Billy Bowman Jr. in the secondary.
Maybe more important to a potential turnaround than any single player is Jeff Ulbrich, who might not be an elite defensive coordinator, but he’s damn sure better than whatever the hell it is Jimmy Lake was for the Falcons last year.
Even still, there are a couple of areas on that side of the ball that could be improved. Along the interior, I’d sleep much better at night if the Falcons brought in a defender whose sole purpose in life was to clog rushing lanes. On the backend, I still think the Falcons need another starting-caliber corner.
Mike Hughes will man the boundary opposite A.J. Terrell. He might’ve been the surprise of the 2024 season, but he’s a guy who has struggled with consistency his entire career. Meanwhile, Dee Alford, Clark Phillips, and Bowman will compete for the starting nickel job.
After a more than impressive 2023 campaign, Alford was BBQ chicken last year. Maybe that has to do with Jimmy Lake, but it’s a gamble. Phillips might have physical limitations that no amount of development can overcome, and Bowman was a fourth-round rookie who is making the transition to corner after playing safety at Oklahoma.
That’s a lot of unproven talent, and it’s not considering what an injury to Terrell or Hughes would do to this unit. The Falcons could make a monumental leap from last year if they bring in a talented corner to pair with Terrell and bump everyone down the ladder.
What a coincidence!? One just became available too! The Packers have released Jaire Alexander this morning, according to Ian Rapoport.
The All-Pro was cut for a few reasons — availability, his contract, and maybe even attitude concerns.
Alexander missed the final seven games of the regular season with a PCL injury, but that’s not all. Since signing a record-breaking deal in 2022, the star corner has missed 21 games over the last two seasons.
For the Falcons, he’s a two-time All-Pro cornerback who is one of the best in the business when healthy, but that’s just the thing. He has struggled to stay healthy since signing that deal.
He’ll have plenty of suitors, so Alexander will likely have his pick of the litter. This is where Raheem Morris comes into play. The Falcons’ head coach was heralded for his ability to connect to players. This is the perfect moment for him to put on his recruiting cap and get an elite talent to Atlanta.
There’s the question of cap space, though. The Falcons only have around $5 million in cap space, and Alexander will surely command more than that, but the team can create some flexibility by restructuring the contracts of Jessie Bates, David Onyemata, and Darnell Mooney.
The only reason not to call Jaire Alexander if you’re the Falcons is that you’re concerned about his durability. That’s it.
