Coming off of a 7-9 season, the Falcons have some tough decisions to make as the league gets closer to the start of free agency. Since nothing is official yet, we’re not ruling anyone out, which brings us to today’s potential free agent target profile, Chiefs outside linebacker Dee Ford.
Ford had an outstanding season for Kansas City in 2018, finishing second on the team with 13 sacks. He’s expected to get hit with the franchise tag according to Tom Pelissero, however, until he’s signed a contract we’re going to keep it all options on the table. Here’s how Ford might fit.
Dee Ford
Position: OLB/EDGE
Age: 27
Size: 6-foot-2, 252 pounds
2018 Stats: 55 tackles, 13 sacks, seven forced fumbles
Career Stats: 137 tackles, 30.5 sacks, nine forced fumbles
Why he makes sense: In the modern NFL, you can never have too many pass rushers. As we’ve pointed out in our Jadeveon Clowney and Frank Clark profiles, the team lost some firepower up front last season when Adrian Clayborn left. Plus, Vic Beasley didn’t bounce back from the slide that began after the Super Bowl two years ago as fans had hoped. Ford is a versatile OLB that would instantly boost Atlanta’s pass rush and offer a major upgrade on the strong side if they move on from Beasley.
Why he doesn’t: First off, he’s likely to stay in K.C. at least for one more season but even if doesn’t, his price-tag is likely to be too high for the Falcons to compete. Plus, the team has had some success with finding defensive gems in the draft. Gambling on Ford is an expensive proposition, especially if they think they can find a good edge prospect on Day 1 or 2.
Probability: Low
It’s very unlikely that the Chiefs would allow Ford to hit free agency. However, the one glimmer of hope is that the K.C. is switching to a 4-3 defense and Ford is more of a 3-4 outside linebacker than a true defensive end. Still, Ford will command a lucrative deal on the open market and Atlanta won’t have much cash to throw around after paying both Grady Jarrett and Julio Jones.
