Atlanta Falcons re-sign polarizing cornerback

Dee Alford has spent the last three years with the Falcons after the team signed him out of the CFL. In 2023, he became a full-time starter at nickel and far exceeded anybody’s expectations. He was an above average player at the position, recording 41 tackles, two of which went for loss, with six passes defended.

However, like seemingly every defensive player under first-year DC Jimmy Lake, Alford took a massive step back this past season. The numbers look better; he recorded 83 tackles and led the team with 11 passes defended, but that’s because teams constantly picked on Alford throughout the season. Wherever he was lined up, that was where the ball was going.

According to Pro Football Reference, Dee Alford was targeted a staggering 93 times in 2024, with quarterbacks completing 72% of their passes when looking his way for over 600 yards and eight touchdowns, good for a QB rating of 117.9. That’s about as bad as it gets in this league for a player asked to play such a prominent role.

As a depth signing, the Falcons bringing back Dee Alford is probably a smart move. He has starting experience, and there’s a chance he regresses positively now that the defense is no longer coordinated by Jimmy Lake. As of now, he’s in line to compete with Clark Phillips III for the starting job at nickel, but hopefully, the Falcons continue to add to the position as the offseason wanes, whether it be through free agency or the draft. Both Alford and Phillips are better served as backups rather than starters based on how they performed in 2024.