Falcons Sign Offensive Tackle Jeremy Trueblood

October 23, 2011; London, ENGLAND; Tampa Bay Buccaneers tackle Jeremy Trueblood (65) stands at the line of scrimmage during the third quarter in the NFL International Series game against the Chicago Bears at Wembley Stadium. The Bears defeated the Buccaneers 24-18. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

There has been much ado about the “hole” for the Atlanta Falcons at the right tackle spot, and on Tuesday, the team made a move to address that issue.

The Falcons announced (via Mike Smith) that offensive tackle Jeremy Trueblood has been brought in, and the team released young offensive tackle Terren Jones to make room on the 53-man roster. Trueblood was the 2nd-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2006, and this will be his 8th year in the NFL after latching on with the Falcons.

There are varying reports as to his effectiveness but we know a few things about Trueblood. First, the fact that he was still available on the market (after being cut by the Redskins) is an indication of his relative ceiling. Secondly, he is highly-regarded in the running game, but has documented issues in pass protection that surely won’t be improving at age 30.

However, I see this move as both a small indictment of Lamar Holmes and a shrewd depth acquisition. No one knows what Lamar Holmes is going to be in his first real action, but we know he’s raw and he wasn’t stellar in the preseason. Trueblood provides a more predictable option (at least), and a little bit of depth is encouraging.

I would expect to see Holmes on the field for play #1 in New Orleans, but it certainly wouldn’t be a surprise to see a lot of Mr. Trueblood in the lineup.