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Falcons named top landing spot for familiar face at EDGE
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- Falcons named top landing spot for familiar face at EDGE
The Atlanta Falcons were supposed to be starting second-year studs James Pearce and Jalon Walker on the edge in 2026. At least at the outset of the season, neither one will be available for the starting lineup, though. Walker is out for the year with an ACL tear and Pearce is likely facing a suspension that should be at least eight games.
That means the Falcons need guys like Samson Ebukam and Azeez Ojulari to step up, but they also have to find some outside help to boost their rotation. There are bigger names out there on the free agent market, but his previous experience in Jeff Ulbrich's defense makes Leonard Floyd likely their best choice.
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It seems Moe Moton at Bleacher Report agrees . He has named Atlanta the best landing spot for Floyd.
"The Atlanta Falcons should re-sign Leonard Floyd for another year. Last season, he only played 49 percent of the defensive snaps, logging 19 tackles (five for loss), 3.5 sacks and 19 pressures. Although Floyd saw a significant decline in production between 2024 and 2025, he could see more playing time in Atlanta this year. Floyd can make a return as the Falcons' top pass-rusher and provide much-needed juice off the edge. Before the 2025 campaign, he recorded at least 8.5 sacks in five consecutive seasons."
With Jadeveon Clowney returning to the Houston Texans, the other top free agents not named Leonard Floyd are Joey Bosa, Von Miller and Haason Reddick.
As B/R mentions, Floyd had been consistently productive until last year, when he saw his role diminish. That won't be the case in 2026. With Walker and Pearce both out, Floyd could see as many snaps as any other outside linebacker currently on the roster.
Re-signing Floyd is a band-aid and not a long-term solution, but when you're bleeding like the Falcons are at this position sometimes a band-aid is what is needed.
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This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Falcons named top landing spot for familiar face at EDGE
