West Atlanta News

The Atlanta Falcons have made a significant offseason move by acquiring pass rusher Leonard Floyd, who will reunite with Raheem Morris, his former defensive coordinator from Los Angeles. This acquisition aims to bolster the team's defense, which finished last season with only 31 sacks, ranking second lowest in the NFL. Despite this, the Falcons showed improvement towards the end of the season, generating 21 sacks in the final six weeks.

At 32 years old, Floyd remains a versatile player capable of being a three-down starter or a situational rusher. His history with Morris includes two productive seasons in Los Angeles where he recorded at least nine sacks each year. The Falcons have not seen a player reach nine sacks since Adrian Clayborn's performance in 2017.

Floyd's experience extends beyond his time with Morris. He played for the San Francisco 49ers last year and achieved 8.5 sacks. His role during the 2021 and 2022 seasons was pivotal for the Rams' defense as he primarily lined up at left outside linebacker.

Floyd's skills include setting an edge with power and dropping into coverage when necessary. His ability to convert pressures into sacks is notable; during the 2022 season, he had a conversion rate similar to top edge rushers like Brian Burns and Chandler Jones.

The addition of Floyd complements existing players such as Arnold Ebiketie and Bralen Trice, who is returning from injury. With potential new additions from the draft, these players form a core around which Atlanta can build its pass rush strategy.

Being an Atlanta native and having Super Bowl-winning experience adds value to Floyd's presence on the team. While he may not solve all issues single-handedly, his familiarity with Morris' system and consistent production could lead to improvements in Atlanta's defense next season.