The Atlanta Falcons may not have made the flashiest trade before the deadline, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t have an impactful one by acquiring defensive tackle Kentavius Street.
If there’s one thing that Atlanta has shown it’s good at this season, it’s getting players they’re familiar with to produce.
In the offseason, the Falcons traded a seventh-round pick to the New England Patriots for tight end Jonnu Smith, who’d seen his production dissipate over the past few years in a crowded tight end room.
However, the tight end who’d seen his best years with the Tennessee Titans with then offensive coordinator Arthur Smith is now the No.3 receiver in Atlanta and enjoying a career year now that he’s reunited with his former coordinator, Smith, who’s utilizing his skillset.
Flash forward to a day before the trade deadline. The Falcons traded a sixth-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for a seventh-round pick and Street, a player the organization is familiar with.
Stop me if you get deja vu. Street signed with the Eagles after having the most productive season of his career last season with the New Orleans Saints under co-defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen.
Once with the reigning NFC Champs, Street found himself buried in a depth chart featuring Fletcher Cox and first-round players such as Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis. After only managing four tackles and three pressures this season, Philly traded him to Atlanta, where Nielsen is now the defensive coordinator.
Street is a low-cost, high-reward acquisition that makes sense for the Falcons, who just lost Grady Jarrett to a torn ACL against the Tennessee Titans in Week 8. If Street can return to his 2022 self when he had 29 tackles and 3.5 sacks, this could look like a bargain buy at the deadline.
Grade: B+
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