![]() ![]() The betting favorite should probably be linebacker Kaden Elliss, who was signed away from the Saints after notching seven sacks from his inside linebacker position last season. Instead, they addressed their needs with players on all three levels of the defense so there’s not an obvious candidate for the sack lead. The Falcons didn’t sign an alpha edge rusher in the offseason. Who will lead the team in sacks is a tough question. Forty sacks would have ranked 14th in the league last year, which would be a huge step forward. Expecting that sack total is ambitious, but expecting Atlanta to hit 40 is reasonable. So what’s a realistic goal? The Saints averaged 46.9 sacks per season and finished in the top 10 in the league in that category every year during new Falcons defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen’s six years in New Orleans. This offseason, the Falcons spent a lot of money and hired a defensive coordinator with a background heavy in quarterback pressure to help turn around those pitiful numbers. ![]() They have had fewer sacks in the last two seasons (39) than any team in the NFL by a stunning margin, according to TruMedia. ![]() It’s almost a mathematical certainty given how bad it has been the last two years.īut what does improvement mean? They could double their sack total from last year (21) and still not rank in the top 10 in the league. On top of that, though, is the fact this is a really interesting discussion. I’m not starting with Conner’s question just because he called me an expert, but, let’s be honest, it figured into the equation. ![]()
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