Training camp time is here, and it is spectacular. The Atlanta Falcons don't open theirs until July 24th, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t start looking at other ways for the Falcons to improve their roster. Yes, there is a lot of optimism around the team as currently constructed, but there is that missing piece, that last component to fill out the roster. According to For The Win’s NFL analyst Cory Woodroof, Atlanta could find themselves two impact players as a possible trade partner this offseason in his ten NFL trade candidates piece.
The first player Woodroof has the Falcons in play for is a position that Atlanta refused to handle during the first few stages of the offseason: Edge rusher. With negotiations between the New England Patriots and pass rusher Matthew Judon not getting any closer, the four-time Pro Bowler could be on the move and who better to snatch him up than Atlanta?
…The New England Patriots are not expected to be major postseason players this season. The AFC is just too tough a landscape for a rebuilding franchise like New England to navigate, particularly when it’s still unclear if 2024 first-round quarterback Drake Maye will even play this fall. Trading a veteran pass-rusher like Judon would make a ton of sense, as the team could net a really nice draft pick for 2025 and save some money on this year’s cap (a little more than $6 million). It would also open up an avenue for younger pass-rushers to get some playing time. Judon still has gas left in the tank and could be an impact player for any number of contenders.
The price tag for Judon may get in the way initially, but nothing a few restructures and extensions couldn't fix. Listen, Atlanta needs a pass rush to make a run at a Super Bowl, if that is the goal in 2024. This potential plan of trying to work sacks from the inside out may work, but having guys that can get sacks on an island is a recipe for at least an average defense.
Matthew Judon now has 32 sacks since joining the Patriots in 2021.
— Pats Buzz (@PatsBuzz) September 27, 2023
Insanely productive player. pic.twitter.com/j2ixkVqlYC
The second impact player affects the other side of the ball, adding some experience and talent to a position that could use it. Woodroof says that the Houston Texans could potentially gain some cap relief by trading wide receiver Robert Woods and allowing their young depth pieces like John Metchie III and Xavier Hutchinson more chances to see the field.
The Houston Texans have a very deep wide receiver room, and Woods might be the odd man out with more youthful depth pushing for playing time. He’d be the perfect fit for a contending team that needs a veteran option on the outside, as he’s got the experience needed to boost any passing game. He might not be the player he was in his prime, but he’s still good. The Texans could save more than $6 million in a trade and open up a spot on the depth chart for its younger players.
Atlanta’s receiver room is currently not the biggest problem, but that’s because of Drake London. If London were to go down, as much as we love Darnell Mooney here at The Sporting News, that is not going to cut it. Woods would add some toughness this receiving room could use and another reliable target for quarterback Kirk Cousins to find late in the progression.
Texans QB CJ Stroud hits Robert Woods for the score! pic.twitter.com/qUZOD5ki5p
— Arye Pulli (@AryePulli) October 15, 2023
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