Atlanta Falcons Making MAJOR Changes To Their Defense

Atlanta Falcons Making MAJOR Changes To Their Defense

The Atlanta Falcons are gearing up to make some major changes to their defense and I want to share that with you guys on today’s episode. Welcome in to Falcons today by chat sports. Matthew Peterson here with some news coming out of, you know, offseason workouts and practices where the team reporter Taran Wack shared position coach Nate Ali explained last Wednesday that Zack Harrison and Brandon Doris will be Atlanta’s big ends in 2025. A role that will blend Harrison’s first two seasons with the Falcons. So, let’s talk about this change and a change that New DC Jeff, who’s very poor by the way, right now, uh, hinted at as well. But Harrison, if you remember, was drafted out of Ohio State. And in 2023, he had a pretty good role as a rookie. And then in 2024 with Ryan Nielsen out and I don’t even can’t remember the uh old DC’s name, uh, Jimmy Lake uh, in his role changed uh, dramatically, right? They had him add like 10 to 15 pounds. They wanted him playing more as like a defensive tackle than a defensive end. So that’s the blend that Terran talked about where, hey, year one for us, you are a defensive end. Year two, Jimmy Raheem, I’m not really sure who’s to blame or who’s to be credited for, added 10 to 15 pounds to your frame to move you inside more. And that was not very productive. Zack Harrison was not impactful last year. The guy was playing 25% of snaps, a decrease from his first season in a year where you’d think, hey, with how bad our pass rush is, anyone that wants to get on the field, just sign up and let us know because we’re looking for players who can go out and deliver. So Harrison makes the change back to what I think he started off as, which is a defensive end. A role where he showed some potential towards the end of that rookie season. And then last year he was just kind of non-existent. You know what I mean? Look at the tackles down, tackles for loss down, sacks down, games up. So, a change coming for Harrison, and I’m excited for this to get him back to where I think he played better ball at his rookie season in 2023. And then there’s Brandon Doris, the other side of the equation here. A fourthround pick out of Oregon last year. We hardly saw him in 2024. I think the number of snaps he played is like I want to say less than 20. I think the number is 18. Someone can fact check me. So, he was a non-factor. He was non-existent, right? And that’s all right. Like day three rookies, they don’t always have a big role their first year. It doesn’t mean they are doomed or something, right? I don’t think we should make our complete conclusion of them and their future with the team based on what a fourthrounder did in his rookie season. But I’m excited to see him and Harrison him Doris playing more of what he did at Oregon and Harrison get back to what he did more of at Ohio State and at uh his rookie sage because while coming out of Ohio State he was not one of the most uh you know athletic guys. He wasn’t super bendy and that’s a big buzzword for defensive ends. Can you drop and rip, you know, right below a tackle? Or are you too stiff up front and you just can’t quite get underneath that shoulder blade of the offensive tackle? And if you can’t, maybe you’re better suited to play more inside where you can use your strength just to bull rush guys back. It was not a good move for Harrison. So, I’m glad to see this change being made for him because I don’t want to give up on a third round draft pick already. And then for Doris, just excited to see him play at all outside of the preseason because there was an opportunity for him to take a step forward in year two. So the question I have for you guys is, will the Falcons have a player with 10 or more sacks? Has not been done since Vic Beasley a decade ago. Does that change this year? I’m going to be optimistic and say yes, but I really don’t believe it in my heart. But I’m going to at least try and speak it into existence. So yeah, give me Leonard Floyd 10 sacks on the dot. I think he’s the best man for that uh possibility. Now, on top of this change for Zack Harrison, uh I want to share a little bit of a change, and it’s not little, it could be pretty big altogether, that Jeff Brook, who’s very poor, by the way, could be making for this defense as a whole and not just one individual. I wonder if he like over the next few years is just going to randomly request like a hundred bucks from Jacks on Venmo. is like you’re going to pay me back one way or another and I’m just going to keep Venmo requesting you until I feel like I’m no longer, you know, mad. 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That’s code falcons chat50 off at factormeals.com/falcons chat50 off for 50% off plus free shipping. Shout out to Factor for supporting us. Go support them as well. So rewind a little bit to what Olrich said not too long ago but I want to revisit these comments. He said if we look back 15 20 years ago there were three four teams and there were four three teams and you were one or the other. It’s not that way anymore. So we’re going to be multiple and we’re going to do some unique things that are going to be 34ish and 43ish. I love what he said because it did and maybe this happened to you as well. It brought me back in a time machine when one of my friends growing up uh was a Redskins fan and the they ran a 3-4 defense and I remember like just defending the 4-3 being three guys up front. That’s insane. And it really was black or white and it was a big part of like free agency a little bit like you’re not going to sign that guy because he played in that defense. Like I always go back to Natam Aimoa like Reed’s gonna have PTSD right now, but he was a big corner that went from the Raiders to the Eagles and he was awesome with the Raiders and he sucked with the Eagles and a lot of people point to the schematic change that underwent, right? I think he went from a man to a zone or zone to a man, I don’t remember, but he sucked with the Eagles because it was a different, you know, defense and it was zone with the Eagles. Oh, zone with the Raiders and man with the Eagles. So, that’s not the day and age we live in anymore, though. Sure, you’re still going to have teams that lean one way over another, like the Lions last year with Aaron Glenn. He just wants to put the fear of God into people. So, he went heavy man. Whereas Raheem Morris with the Rams and with the Falcons, he would say put the fear of God, but he played more zone, right? That was more of a tactical decision. But we still see a lot of crossover this day and age because offenses continue to evolve and get more creative and throw more personnel packs out there. So as teams get more creative with their receiver sets and things like that and splits, you got to match that creativity on defense. So let’s say the Atlanta Falcons or if you’re wondering what does that look like? Can you just paint the picture for me PD and shut the up? Yes. Here’s what a three four defense I think would look like. I think Morgan Fox, David Onyada, and Rrook Auroro are going to be your three down linemen. And then coming off the edge, which is something we’ve seen the Falcons do the last couple of years, would be Leonard Floyd. And I’m going to put Jaylen Walker at that spot. That spot is up for grabs. I mean, both of them are, but I think Leonard Floyd’s gonna be a starter for this team. I think Walker is going to be a starter at outside linebacker and maybe we see James Pierce or Arnold Evati, you know, push for one of those two starting outside linebacker gigs. So, you won’t have to twist my arm to swap one of those names out. You could swap Fox out for Harrison, but that’s what I think this would give you a rough idea of what a 34 defense would look like. Now, if it’s a 43 defense, I think we see Leonard Floyd go back to being a defensive end. He did that a little bit with Chicago. He’s done that with the 49ers. So, he’s got versatility from being, you know, in a two-point stance versus a three-point stance. I think Onya Mada and Rrook start on the interior. And James Pierce, I think, would be better suited to be a defensive end in a three-point stance, putting his hand in the ground than Jaylen Walker or Arnold Eocati. Pierce did that far more often at Tennessee. So that is a role I could see for him where depending on the offensive package and whatnot. If you want to deploy a 4-3 look, those are four good names. If you want to go with a 34 look, we can go back to what that looks like. And you can get creative right in this 34 look for a moment. You can put Walker at inside linebacker, have him blitz in between on Mada and Fox and put Pierce at outside linebacker, right? and you could have Kaden Ellis then be more of a spy in the middle of the field. So, there are some versatile pieces for Brook to use on this defense right now. And a big reason why he’s got this ability to, you know, be flexible is look at the additions Atlanta has made, the notable ones on defense. The common theme I see right here is speed. Walker, Pierce, Diablo, fast guys. Floyd was just a we need a pass rusher in free agency. You’re from Georgia. How about you wrap it up at home? Fox is an athletic guy on the inside. Watts, I think, was just someone they viewed as too good of a player to be available that late in round three. But Walker, Pierce, and Diablo scream speed to me. So with that added speed, you can move guys around a little bit, right? You don’t have to be so stiff and stagnant. So that’s what I think we can see out of the Atlanta Falcons defense this upcoming season. I hope you guys enjoyed this video. I know it wasn’t filled with a bunch of juicy trade rumors. I know how much you guys love the Kirk Cousins trade rumors, so I deprived you. But don’t worry, I got a video coming out this weekend. You’re going to hate it. Uh let’s spin the wheel, though, to give two claps for someone that was in the comment section yesterday. looking good for is this only mist. That sounds like a horse race name, right? That gives me horse uh name vibes. Yeah, I get Kentucky Derby vibes right here. I will say on that topic, 90 not 95, 100% of my picks for like horse races are name and odds. If I see great name with medium odds, I’m in. If I love the name with bad odds, I’m really in. Yeah, two hoof claps indeed. One, two. Thank you so much for tuning in. We’ll see everyone next time.

Falcons rookie minicamp is getting underway shortly along with OTAs, so a lot going on at Flowery Branch! The 2025 Atlanta Falcons defense will look different than in years past with Jeff Ulbrich now in charge. Check out what Falcons Today host Matthew Peterson thinks about some of the latest Falcons news and rumors out there following the NFL Draft!

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Will the Falcons have a 10+ sack player in 2025? Yes or No

Terrin Waack On Falcons Defense:
“Position coach Nate Ollie explained last Wednesday that Zach Harrison and Brandon Dorlus will be Atlanta’s “big ends” in 2025, a role that will blend Harrison’s first two seasons with the Falcons.”

Jeff Ulbrich On Falcons Defense:
“If we look back 15, 20 years ago, there were 3-4 teams and there were 4-3 teams, and you were one or the other. It’s not that way anymore… So, we’re going to be multiple, and we’re going to do some unique things that are going to be 3-4-ish and 4-3-ish at times.”

Falcons 3-4 defensive front:
OLB Leonard Floyd
DE Morgan Fox
NT David Onyemata
DT Ruke Orhorhoro
OLB Jalon Walker

Falcons 4-3 defensive front:
DE Leonard Floyd
DT David Onyemata
DT Ruke Orhorhoro
DE James Pearce

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Falcons passing leaders:
– Kirk Cousins: 66.9%, 3,508 yards, 18 TD, 16 INT
– Michael Penix Jr.: 58.1%, 775 yards, 3 TD, 3 INT

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