The Atlanta Falcons added to their defensive line late Monday night when they signed veteran defensive end, Allen Bailey. The move came hours after defensive tackle Michael Bennett broke his ankle on the first day of training camp.
Following an eight-year career with the Kansas City Chiefs in which he was a consistent starter, Bailey was allowed to walk in free agency. He left Kansas City after a career year.
In 16 games last year he finished with six sacks, 38 tackles, four fumble recoveries, and two forced fumbles. Following his departure from Kansas City, Bailey garnered a lot of interest from teams across the league. After this signing, the Falcons should feel pretty fortunate that he was still available this late into the offseason.
The Contract
Bailey will be joining the team on a two-year, $10.5 million contract. That includes $6 million ($3.5 million guaranteed) being paid out in the first year of the deal. With most of the money coming up front, the Falcons will have great deal of flexibility in Year 2 if they were to need it.
How the Falcons Benefit
The McIntosh County Academy (GA) product satisfies an immediate need for the Falcons. The fact that the defensive line struggled in 2018 is no secret. The team finished 22nd in sacks and 25th in rushing yards allowed. Bailey should come in and immediately help in both areas. At the very least, he will serve as a plus-level rotational piece for a unit in need, even before the injury to Michael Bennett.
In terms of what he brings to the positional group, Bailey is a powerful and athletic defensive lineman. He is explosive off the line of scrimmage and he plays angry (members of the Kansas City coaching staff dubbed him "The Hulk"). However the most exciting part of this signing has to be Bailey's versatility.
He has experience playing both on the interior and exterior of the defensive line. At 6-foot-3, 285 pounds, he is big enough to be run-stuffing presence, but also agile enough get after the quarterback in clear passing situations. Dan Quinn has been given an enviable every-down option to deploy on his defensive line in most any situation.
Bailey will immediately factor into the mix for the 2019 season. His primary position remains to be seen, but that will be something to watch over the next few weeks of training camp. Regardless of his specific position, this is a solid signing that should help quell some of the depth concerns for the defensive line. All in all, this is a quick and effective signing from Thomas Dimitroff that fans should get fans excited.
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