The Falcons were thin at linebacker after letting go of De’Vondre Campbell in free agency and announced on Thursday that they have agreed to terms with linebacker/safety Deone Bucannon.
Bucannon is another former first-round pick that hasn’t quite found his NFL footing. He’s spent time at multiple linebacker spots as well as safety, but has become more of a versatile depth piece rather than the impact-player teams viewed him as back in the 2014 draft.
In six NFL seasons, most recently with the New York Giants, Bucannon has 434 tackles (329 solo), 28 tackles for a loss, seven sacks and two interceptions.
The Falcons are likely to play him at an outside linebacker spot in certain situations, but he also provides some insurance as a strong safety in case Keanu Neal doesn’t return to his All-Pro form in 2020.
