While the Jets carried the curse of John Abraham at edge rusher for over a decade, the Falcons also struggled mightily to replace the since-retired pass rusher. Despite first-round picks, notable free agency additions and a 2024 trade, Atlanta has come up empty in its search for consistent EDGE presences.
Abraham, whom Atlanta acquired in a three-team trade in 2006, signed with the Cardinals in 2013. The Falcons have sputtered in their attempts to locate edges since. Free agency additions (Osi Umenyiora, Dwight Freeney, Bruce Irvin, Dante Fowler, Bud Dupree) and a Matt Judon trade either provided stopgaps or ended up misfiring, while first-rounders Vic Beasley (2015) and Takk McKinley (2017) did not become long-term answers. Falcons have produced one double-digit sack season (Beasley’s outlier 2016) since Abraham’s 2013 exit.
This alarming trend heavily influenced Atlanta’s 2025 draft. The team had attempted to trade up for Laiatu Latu after its surprising Michael Penix Jr. pick last year, but no deal emerged. The Falcons did find a taker this year, sending their 2026 first-rounder to the Rams in a package that secured them James Pearce Jr. at No. 26. This came after Atlanta chose Jalon Walker at No. 15. The duo represents the biggest swing the Falcons have taken to stop this pass-rushing drought since Abraham’s Cardinals defection.
Although the Falcons have drawn criticism for trading their 2026 first to move into the late first round, they did so because they placed a high value on Pearce. The Tennessee edge presence would have been Atlanta’s No. 15 pick had Walker not been available, according to SI.com’s Albert Breer.
The Falcons did not expect Walker to be there at 15, leading to the Georgia hybrid linebacker being the choice. Walker had been linked to a few teams in the top 10 — from the Saints to the Panthesr to the Jets to even the Patriots at No. 4. Falcons GM Terry Fontenot said the team would have been “more than comfortable” taking Pearce at 15, per ESPN.com’s Marc Raimondi. Fontenot noted Pearce being off the board would have caused the Falcons to stand down, but they will be without their 2026 first-rounder because of a high grade on Pearce.
Even as Grady Jarrett returned from his ACL tear to team with Judon, the Falcons ranked 31st in pressure rate last season. Pearce, who registered 17.5 sacks over his final two Tennessee seasons and clocked a 4.47-second 40-yard dash, will join Walker and free agency addition Leonard Floyd in a beefed-up Falcons pass rush. Pearce had come up as a Falcons target at 15 during draft week. The team hosted him on a “30” visit as well.
It will be interesting to see how the Falcons use Walker, Pearce and Floyd. Walker’s work as an off-ball linebacker at Georgia creates some possibilities for the team to use all three together, but Floyd is a 49ers cap casualty on a one-year, $10MM deal. Walker and Pearce are in place to be Atlanta’s hopeful long-term answers to one of the NFL’s longest-running problems.
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The Texas Tech Red Raiders are going all in on their college football roster this year in one of the offseason's biggest surges. Much was made about national champion Ohio State's $25 million roster that propelled the Buckeyes to the top of the sport last season. And Texas built what is believed to be a 2025 roster worth $45 million headed into the upcoming season. But Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire, general manager James Blanchard and billionaire booster/collective head Cody Campbell have reportedly surpassed those marks with a roster costing around $55 million this year. The $20.5 million rev-share cap and lofty collective support have made the Red Raiders into a major NIL power. College football analyst David Pollack, a former ESPN personality and three-time All-American at Georgia, isn't surprised by the Red Raiders' NIL spending spree. “I've said this for years, the biggest beneficiary in NIL is the state of Texas because the money – it's just very, very fluid there," Pollack said on "See Ball Get Ball." "And so they went out and spent $55 million – I think is the last number I saw – on their squad to ultra competitive. They spent hundreds of millions of dollars, actually 240-plus million, on their stadium that's one of the best in the country." Campbell, who made his multi-billion dollar fortune in the Texas oil business, helped raise $242 million for renovations to Texas Tech's Jones AT T Stadium. It's clear that the rising Big 12 program wants to be in national contention given the millions of dollars in NIL backing and significant improvement to the Red Raiders' home turf. "They got everything they own in the pot, saying 'we're going to try to win this league and make a name for ourselves,'" Pollack said. Only time will tell if Texas Tech's gamble will pay off, though, as McGuire and Co. have posted a 23-16 record over the last three seasons and are coming off an 8-5 finish in 2024. Perhaps the biggest challenge for the 2025 season is creating cohesiveness within a roster that features 21 transfer players. Texas Tech will open the season at home against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Aug. 30 at 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+).
The Seattle Mariners lost on Friday night against the Los Angeles Angels, falling 3-2 in 10-innings. It was a tough loss for Seattle, as they fell to 4-4 since the All-Star break, but they remain in the second wild card spot in the American League, 0.5 games ahead of the Boston Red Sox. However, optimism for the organization remains high, especially after acquiring first baseman Josh Naylor in a pre-trade deadline deal on Thursday. The slugging first baseman made his team debut on Friday, going 1-for-4 with a single and two strikeouts. However, he certainly ingratiated himself to M's fans before he even stepped onto the field, as he wore an awesome jacket, complete with a nod to Gary Payton and the Seattle SuperSonics. There's almost no quicker way to make yourself likable to Seattle fans than to show appreciation for the Sonics. Now, he'd take it to the next level if he'd take some shots at the Oklahoma City Thunder, but one step at a time. Naylor is hitting .292 this season with 11 home runs and 59 RBIs. He's stolen 11 bases and owns an .804 OPS for the Diamondbacks and Mariners. An All-Star last season, he helped lead the Cleveland Guardians to the American League Championship Series. They dealt him to Arizona in the offseason. The Mariners are back in action on Saturday night against the Angels with first pitch coming at 6:38 p.m. PT. George Kirby will take the mound against left-hander Tyler Anderson, who will get the ball for the Halos. The series concludes on Sunday.
With the trade for Ryan McMahon now complete, it would seem New York Yankees’ general manager Brian Cashman has fulfilled one of his three priorities. He can now cross third base off the list, which leaves the rotation and bullpen as his remaining priorities. However, according to one Yankees writer, Cashman might not be done with the infield. Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reported this after the McMahon trade: “The Yankees may not be done adding to their infield. A team source said the Yankees are interested in adding a right-handed hitter who could play the infield.” Kirschner adds that the Yankees have had interest in Willi Castro and Amed Rosario. But the question now is, how would another player fit in the Yankees’ infield? Needless to say, Paul Goldschmidt and Jazz Chisholm Jr. aren’t going anywhere, and McMahon is just getting there. That leaves the low-hanging fruit. Anthony Volpe has been at the center of controversy all this season. His 13 errors, many of which had come at make-or-break moments, amount to the second-highest total in the game. In addition, his bat has not been able to compensate, hitting .214/.286/.407 with 14 home runs. There was always a lot to like about Volpe. He won a Gold Glove in his rookie year, his power has always been promising and his speed is nothing to scoff at. Unfortunately, his glove has become a liability and his speed has also produced very few results. Volpe has swiped just 10 bags in 17 attempts. His power is the one thing that still has some upside, but it hasn’t been enough to justify a spot in the lineup. Both Castro and Rosario have been far more productive at the plate this season than Volpe. Kirschner doesn’t clarify how serious the Yankees are in their pursuit of another infielder, but that most likely isn’t available information. Having just turned 24, Volpe could still become the type of player that was expected from him as a top prospect. However, his recent performance has weighed heavily on his team’s efforts and it may be buying him a ticket out of the Bronx — or at least a spot on the bench.
Tennessee Titans wide receiver Treylon Burks may have already sealed his fate ahead of a make-or-break 2025 season. On Saturday, the No. 18 overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft suffered a broken collarbone while making an outstanding diving catch along the sideline during training-camp practice on a pass from rookie quarterback Cam Ward. The play was a distillation of Burks' pro career thus far, one that could be special if not beset by injuries. Burks has only appeared in 27 of a possible 51 career regular-season games. During his rookie season, Burks missed Weeks 5-9 with a foot/toe injury. He also suffered a concussion against the Philadelphia Eagles, forcing him to miss two additional games. In 2023, he was sidelined by a knee injury from Oct. 1 through Oct. 15, followed by another three-game absence the next month after he was carted off with a head injury in a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Last season, Burks was limited to five games after tearing his ACL during practice. He appeared to be in prime form on his spectacular grab during the play he was injured, showing off his tantalizing potential (and no lingering effects from his knee injury) by laying out to make the catch. But as has been the case throughout Burks' career, his giant step forward was met with two backward strides. In May, the Titans declined to pick up Burks' fifth-year rookie option, which would have paid him a projected $15.493 million in 2026, per Over The Cap. Over his first three seasons, Burks has 53 receptions, 699 receiving yards and one touchdown. Tennessee invested heavily in improving its wide receiver depth this offseason, insulating it from the effects of Burks' most recent injury. During free agency, the Titans added Tyler Lockett and Van Jefferson. They selected Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft while also signing Ward's college teammate, Xavier Restrepo, as an undrafted free agent. Burks' path to playing time was already challenged by the offseason moves, but his broken clavicle could knock him out of the rotation for good. If Burks is ever going to live up to his draft status, it's become increasingly more likely it won't be in Tennessee.
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