The Falcons found out their depth at strong safety was not quite what they thought it was last season. With Pro Bowler Keanu Neal out for most of the year, Atlanta struggled to find an adequate replacement. Sharrod Neasman and Jordan Richards split time at the position in his place and neither one did well enough to warrant a whole lot of faith. This year, the best candidate to back up Neal is free agent pickup J.J. Wilcox.
Coach Dan Quinn told reporters today that Wilcox is someone who has impressed and stood out to him this offseason.
Wilcox was originally a third-round pick by the Cowboys in the 2013 NFL draft. He stayed there four years and appeared in 58 games before moving onto Pittsburgh for one season. Last year, he split time between the Colts and the Jets.
During his career, Wilcox has played both strong safety and free safety, so he’s also a potential backup if Ricardo Allen gets injured again, as well.
Signing another defensive back who can play either spot wouldn’t be a terrible idea, but it sounds like Quinn is satisfied with his current group.
