The reasons why the Atlanta Falcons first moved cornerback Dee Alford out of the starting lineup have quickly become evident over the last two weeks. Alford, who was re-signed to a one-year deal this summer, was forced into action when star corner A.J. Terrell suffered a hamstring injury in the first half of Atlanta's win against the Minnesota Vikings.
There was never an expectation that Alford would perfectly replicate Terrell's production, but that doesn't change how he's performed below expectations so far.
Falcons CB Dee Alford Must Get Back on Track During Bye Week
Alford has a 40.1 Pro Football Focus coverage grade on the season and has already racked up three penalties despite not starting in the first game of the season. His worst performance came against the Washington Commanders in Week 4, when he allowed four receptions on five targets while taking two penalties, resulting in a 29.3 coverage grade.
That's without mentioning how he's also been detrimental when it comes to stopping the run. Alford's 33.8 run defense grade is a personal-worst effort.
With this in mind, Atlanta is quickly going to consider making a change to the depth chart if Terrell is unable to return after the team's Week 5 bye. Asante Samuel Jr., Stephen Gilmore, and James Bradberry all remain potential free agent additions, who'd all be improvements over Alford.
After going undrafted, the defensive back landed in the Canadian Football League, where he would make a big enough splash with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to land with the Falcons ahead of the 2022 season. Steadily, he fought his way up the depth chart and into a starting role a season ago. Unfortunately, his performance has only declined with each passing season, culminating in this year's disappointment.
If things continue at their current pace, there is no question that the Falcons will be forced to make a move. They simply cannot have a starting corner who is a consistent liability in the ways that Alford has been since joining the starting lineup, especially if they want to catch the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the NFC South lead.
Once the roster is healthy, the issue will take care of itself with Billy Bowman, Mike Hughes, and Terrell being the typical starting lineup, putting Alford back into a reserve role that the corner is far better suited for. He can make plays in small doses and has starting experience, but his failure to handle more physically talented pass-catchers makes him a suitable bench-rider until proven otherwise.