The NFL trade deadline has come and went, and while the Falcons did add some depth on the defensive line, in the aftermath of the Commanders trading both Montez Sweat and Chase Young, there’s now a question of if Atlanta should’ve done more to bolster their pass rush, and gone all in on Sweat, or Young. The Morning Shift gave their take on it earlier today.
There’s a good chance the Falcons would’ve given up a second round pick for Sweat just like the Bears did, but the big difference is the Bears are projected to have the most cap space in the NFL this offseason with over $110M, and have a better chance at signing Montez, the free agent to be after this season, to a long term deal.
Chase Young on the other hand, has simply not delivered as a number two overall pick in 2020. Chase Young in four seasons has 62 solo tackles, 28 assists, 14.0 sacks and 3 fumble recoveries. He was selected to play in one Pro Bowl, and has won the Defensive Rookie of the Year award.
Young’s most productive season thus far has been his rookie campaign when he had 32 solo tackles, 12 assists, 7.5 sacks and 3 fumble recoveries in 15 games. Now, Young has dealt with injuries throughout his young career, and he seems like he may be on track to have a solid season in 2023. Young has 12 solo tackles, 3 assists and 5.0 sacks in seven games this season, but having to sign a guy who may have put together two solid seasons by the end of his fourth season is a very risky move.
The Falcons remaining schedule isn’t very daunting to be honest, and with the pieces they already have on the defensive line they don’t need to give up draft capital and cap space to get a Montez Sweat or a Chase Young.
