Trouble Brewing in Atlanta as Raheem Morris Clashes With Kirk Cousins Over Public Critism of OC Zac Robinson…….Details in post

In Week 9, the Falcons’ defensive front finally came to life, recording three sacks, five tackles for loss, and eight hits to the quarterback. The team has to keep its fingers crossed that it can make it with the current group of edge rushers.

After Tuesday’s 4 p.m. ET NFL trade deadline, the Falcons remained unchanged. Notably, despite having the fewest sacks (9 in 9 games) in the NFL, the Falcons did not make any changes to their edge rushers. Not that there weren’t any good edge rushers to choose from.

On Tuesday, three edge rushers moved their addresses via trades.The cost of Day 3 draft capital was the highest of any of them.

Za’Darius Smith’s trade to the Detroit Lions was the day’s most noteworthy edge rusher trade. The Cleveland Browns acquired a 2025 fifth-round pick and a 2026 sixth-round selection in exchange for a 2026 seventh-round pick from the Detroit Lions.

Another Smith was involved in Tuesday’s transaction; the Pittsburgh Steelers received a seventh-round pick in 2025 from the Green Bay Packers in exchange for defensive tackle Preston Smith. Lastly, in exchange for a sixth-round pick in 2025, the Arizona Cardinals acquired linebacker Baron Browning from the Denver Broncos.

A danger lurks with each of the three edge rushers. Two of them are on loan, and the third will incur a hefty salary cap penalty in 2025. Unfortunately, this is the reality for all NFL clubs who experience roster shortages midway through the season. Even the unbeaten Kansas City Chiefs attempted to acquire a player on Tuesday, adding wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins to their roster.

While the NFL has been increasingly aggressive in its pursuit of trades to fill roster holes, there is no optimum time to make additions.

In the preseason, the Falcons showed a lot of aggression. Along with safety Justin Simmons, they acquired edge rusher Matthew Judon in exchange for a third-round selection. Nothing has changed since the first move. For that reason, the Falcons might have added an edge rusher to their roster before Tuesday’s deadline.

They decided to remain still. Thanks to it, the Falcons were able to hold on to their last four draft picks from 2025. Unfortunately, at this moment, it will not be fruitful. The two Smiths who were dealt on Tuesday aren’t exactly playing at the height of their careers, but their new teams probably won’t require them to lead the edge rush. Both will round out an already great roster, which is particularly true for Preston Smith in Pittsburgh.

The Falcons were primarily looking for a starting edge rusher. Either Smith, though, could have been of some assistance. It was a riskier acquisition to get Browning. Not a single sack for him so far in the season. However, he recorded 9.5 sacks in 24 games in the 2022–23 season.

The other available edge rusher who stayed put was Azeez Ojulari of the New York Giants. Ojulari, a native of Marietta, Georgia, and a former player for the Georgia Bulldogs, had been linked to the Falcons in trade speculations since the preseason. However, Ojulari—who would have been available on a rental basis—was priced too costly by the Giants.According to Diana Russini of The Athletic, the Knicks were hoping to get a late fourth-round or high fifth-round selection in exchange for Ojulari.

It would have been possible for the Falcons to acquire Ojulari and then secure his long-term contract. It would have been easier to pass up a fourth-round pick if that had happened. Atlanta sports fans should be worried that the Falcons will stick with their existing roster.

True, the Falcons’ pass rush hasn’t been very effective, but they’re still 6-3. But the Falcons’ schedule is only going to get tougher, and without a significantly better pass rush in the second half, it’s hard to see them competing with the elites of the NFC.

Due to the lack of trades made by the Atlanta Hawks before the deadline, that will have to be filled by current players.