The Falcons have to upgrade their pass rush this offseason if nothing else on defense. Last year, they managed just 37 sacks in the regular season. They had four players with at least five sacks but no true No. 1 pass rusher with more than seven. That could change in this year’s free agency period, which is absolutely loaded with talent on the edge.
We have already looked at some potential dream additions such as Jadeveon Clowney, Frank Clark, Dante Fowler and Ziggy Ansah. In our next 2019 potential free agent target profile, we examine another solid option in Eagles edge Brandon Graham.
Brandon Graham
Age: 30
Position: Defensive end
Size: 6-foot-2, 265 pounds
2018 stats: 31 tackles, 4 sacks, 11 QB hits, 9 tackles for a loss
Career stats: 243 tackles, 42.5 sacks, 90 QB hits, 76 tackles for a loss
Why he makes sense: Graham’s sack numbers may fluctuate from year to year, but don’t mistake that for inconsistency. Sacks and hits come and go for most rushers. Graham is usually among the league’s best among 4-3 defensive ends in producing pressure on opposing quarterbacks. He’s no longer just a straight bull rusher, either. Graham has added some tricks to his repertoire the last few seasons, as well. Putting him into the rotation with Takk, Beasley and potentially Bruce Irvin would give Atlanta a lot more firepower coming off the edge.
Why he doesn’t: Dan Quinn has never seemed to care much about defensive linemen being a little undersized. Graham certainly qualifies there but he’s made a solid career for himself nevertheless. The real concern about Graham is his age. While there’s something to be said for experience, he’s significantly older than some of the other defensive ends who are about to hit the market. Signing him would not be much of a long-term solution.
Probability: Low
More than being on the wrong side of 30 years old, Graham is going to cost a pretty penny for whatever team that signs him. NFL teams will be looking to copy the success that Philadelphia has had in the trenches recently, so it’s not hard to imagine a bidding war for Graham. The Falcons simply don’t have much cap space to compete.
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