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Atlanta Falcons’ Secondary Will Lead 2015 Defense

By John Buhler

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The Atlanta Falcons defense appears like it’s on the upswing under first-year Head Coach Dan Quinn.  But will he have to lean on his secondary for his defense to have an improved 2015?

Dan Quinn comes to Flowery Branch to help turnaround a once toothless defense in the latter years of the Mike Smith Era.  The Atlanta Falcons struggled to slow down the run, defend the pass, and especially knock the opposing quarterback into the turf.  Essentially the Atlanta Falcons were a disaster defensively the last two seasons as the team combined to go 10-22 in 2013-14.

-= Dan Quinn: This Is Not A Rebuild In Any Way =-

So where does Dan Quinn start?  He’s known for his hands-on coaching tactics to elevate the pass rush and defensive line play.  But Atlanta has such a long way to go in developing a stout pass rush after being one of the worst teams in the NFL in sacking the quarterback.  While Quinn does have promising young players in Ra’Shede Hageman, Grady Jarrett, and Vic Beasley in his front seven, the Atlanta Falcons aren’t moving mountains overnight in disrupting the passer.

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    • The linebacker corps has not been the same since John Abraham‘s exodus and Sean Weatherspoon‘s Achilles’ injury, now he’s gone, too.  Though Quinn brings in savvy veterans like Brooks Reed and Justin Durant to play alongside Paul Worrilow and others, Atlanta Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff needs to build this unit through the draft before it’s not one of the weakest in the NFL.  Perhaps DC Richard Smith and LB Coach Jeff Ulbrich can coach up this group in 2015.

    But if you look at the defensive backfield, I do see this unit having the potential to get back to playing at a Top 10 level like when the Mike Smith Era Falcons were perennial playoff contenders.  Desmond Trufant is the next superstar shutdown corner in the NFL.  He goes against two of the best wideouts in recent NFL history in Roddy White and Julio Jones every day in practice.  Coming from a family of defensive backs, Trufant knows what it takes to play at an elite level in the NFL.  I expect him to make his first Pro Bowl in 2015.

    -= Julio Jones: A New Falcons’ Deal In The Works? =-

    Fellow 2013 Draft Pick CB Robert Alford plays with great passion on the outside, always willing to play aggressively.  Though he has shown a tendency to get beat vertically, I think Quinn’s simple read-and-react defensive philosophy will keep Alford on his toes and in better football position.  I believe that Quinn and Defensive Passing Game Coordinator Raheem Morris will love Robert Alford’s versatility to play in multiple spots in the Base 4-3, the Nickel, and the Dime packages.

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    This year’s second round pick CB Jalen Collins comes to Flowery Branch as a high risk, high reward player out of LSU.  Though he has had his issues with suspensions while in Baton Rouge, Quinn and Dimitroff love his length and speed as well as his physicality to play up in press coverage both in the slot and on the outside.  Alford, Collins, and Trufant gives Coach Quinn and his staff three promising young corners to work with in building a Dirty South version of the Legion of Boom here in Atlanta.

    At safety, SS William Moore is a veteran leader and a rock when healthy.  He has been to a Pro Bowl in 2012 and can thrive at both safety positions such Morris choose to mix and match in the defensive backfield.

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    Ricardo Allen came to the Atlanta Falcons last year as a rookie corner buried on the depth chart.  Quinn likes his talent and has given Allen the opportunity to become a free safety for the Atlanta Falcons.  Though he has competition in Kemal Ishmael and Charles Godfrey, Allen might have more upside than the others and could win the starting gig out of camp.

    While I could totally be off on this, I feel that if the Atlanta Falcons are to conduct a turnaround defensively in 2015, the secondary will have to lead the way.  Though the pass rush and linebacker play will most likely improve as well, I see the players in the Atlanta Falcons defensive backfield coming together and having a strong season for first-year HC Dan Quinn.

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