The Falcons front office has already begun working on the roster as the offseason approaches. In what could be an extremely high personnel turnover rate, Atlanta will probably field a much different team in 2022 than this year. The Falcons have signed Cornell Armstrong to a new contract for 2022, according to his agent.
The Falcons defense has a ton of glaring needs. Dean Pees’ unit only recorded 18 sacks this season, which is by far the lowest total around the league. Rushing the passer will obviously be a huge point of emphasis this offseason, but it isn’t just about getting edge defenders. The backend is just as important in a defense’s ability to pressure opposing quarterbacks, which Pees illustrated last week.
“The thing that we just really got to develop in the offseason and before next year is the ability to rush the passer, and not always have to pressure to do it. And number two is to be able to play man coverage better on the backend. And it’s kind of a two-fold thing. If you don’t get to the quarterback, that means the secondary is hung out there forever, and that’s not good. On the other hand, if you can’t play man coverage at some point in time in this league, I mean you’re just going to have to. So it’s those two things to me that we really have to develop before next year.”
As Pees notes, the good defenses around the league can get after quarterbacks without bringing extra pressure. Defenses have to be able to lock down the backend to do that; pressuring opposing quarterbacks is a yin and yang dynamic with the secondary and front. Signing Armstrong won’t move the needle much, but it officially marks the beginning of the offseason for the Falcons.
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