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Falcons Trade for Defensive Lineman Makes More Sense After Surprising Release
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- Falcons Trade for Defensive Lineman Makes More Sense After Surprising Release
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
The Atlanta Falcons are making the final roster decisions as they determine what this year's edition of the team is going to look like, but one day after the reveal of the first initial 53-man roster, they made a shocking move.
Defensive lineman Zach Harrison , who was arguably the team's most productive interior defender last season when he was on the field, was waived, and while he could return via waivers to the practice squad, fans instantly wondered why.
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A trade with the Chicago Bears the day prior could go a long way towards explaining the logic behind the decision to part ways with Harrison. Atlanta acquired Gervon Dexter Sr. at the same position Harrison plays and may believe him to be a better and more reliable scheme fit.
While Harrison has of course shown flashes of brilliance, he has been unable to string it all together with some injuries that limited him to just seven games last season. While those games were indeed impressive with 4.5 sacks in that period, the Falcons cannot afford to deal with a number of injuries to such a key position given the challenges they are already facing along the edge.
Falcons Made Several Other Waiver Claims
Harrison being waived was also to make room for other waiver claims including linebacker Yasir Abdullah , LB Jared Ivey and offensive tackle Cameron Williams.
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At the end of the day though, injuries combined with the trade for Dexter have pushed Harrison to a point where the team clearly saw him as a expendable. It seems the goal is to sign him to the practice squad, but he could be poached away by a team who needs help along their own defensive line.
Waiving Harrison is just the latest in a string of rather unorthodox moves being made for the initial roster, but clearly this front office is insistent on coming in and doing things their own way. Time will tell if those decisions wind up paying off, but at the end of the day, the new regime is owed the benefit of the doubt given what the results have beenl.
Tough decisions have to be made by every team this time of year, and Atlanta is no exception.
Parting ways with Harrison at least for the time being is just the latest example that this league is a business and players can be replaced by anyone at any time.
