Falcons place DL Grady Jarrett on injured reserve list

Now that the trade deadline has passed, the Falcons have placed DL Grady Jarrett on the injured reserve list

The Atlanta Falcons officially placed defensive lineman Grady Jarrett on the injured reserve list just minutes after the 2023 NFL trade deadline passed on Tuesday.

Jarrett suffered a torn ACL during Sunday’s loss to the Tennessee Titans. The team confirmed he was out for the year on Monday but waited until Tuesday to put Jarrett on the injured reserve.

Shortly after Jarrett’s injury was announced, Atlanta traded for defensive lineman Kentavius Street. The 27-year-old played for Falcons defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen in New Orleans last season.

Street should add depth to Atlanta’s defensive line. Check out the team’s updated 53-man roster entering Week 9.

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Falcons trade for yet another former Saints player

The Falcons have traded for yet another former Saints player. If you can’t beat them, hire your GM and DC from them, and sign or trade for all their players:

If you can’t beat them, remake your team in their image. That must be the Atlanta Falcons’ takeaway after years of struggles to defeat the New Orleans Saints in the long-running NFC South rivalry. On Monday, the Falcons added yet another former Saints player: defensive lineman Kentavius Street.

The Philadelphia Eagles announced that they traded Street to Atlanta in exchange for a swap of late-round draft picks, and the move does make sense from the Falcons’ perspective. They just lost standout defensive tackle Grady Jarrett to a knee injury and Street can help soften the blow as an experienced player at the same position.

It sure helps that Street is surrounded by friendly faces. Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot traded for him after coming up in the Saints front office. He’ll be coached by Falcons defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen, who made the jump to the NFL in New Orleans after coaching Street in college at North Carolina State. And Street will quite literally line up shoulder-to-shoulder with his former Saints teammates David Onyemata and Kaden Elliss, both of whom were signed by Atlanta this offseason.

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Falcons Twitter calls for trade after Grady Jarrett’s injury

Falcons Twitter wants to see a trade now that Grady Jarrett has been ruled out for the season

The Atlanta Falcons suffered a significant injury just two days before the 2023 NFL trade deadline. Grady Jarrett tore his ACL during Sunday’s loss to the Titans, ending his season and leaving a big hole to fill along the team’s defensive line.

While the Falcons have said they will explore all possibilities in regard to replacing Jarrett, fans are hoping the team will swing a trade for a defensive lineman before Tuesday’s trade deadline.

Here’s how Falcons Twitter reacted to Jarrett’s injury news.

Former Tiger out for season with torn ACL

The Atlanta Falcons will have to make do without one of their top defenders.

A former Clemson defender is out for the rest of the NFL season with a significant knee injury.

Grady Jarrett suffered a torn ACL in the Atlanta Falcons’ 28-23 loss to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Jarrett will finish the 2023 season with 23 total tackles, 1.5 sacks and two pass deflections and will miss significant time for the first time in his pro career.

A two-time Pro Bowler, Jarrett played at Clemson from 2011-2014 and was one of the Tigers’ top defensive players in those years, prompting the Falcons to draft him in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL draft. In his four years at Clemson, Jarrett recorded 207 tackles, 29.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, 37 quarterback pressures, one pass breakup, two caused fumbles and four recovered fumbles.

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Falcons DL Grady Jarrett out for season with torn ACL

Falcons DL Grady Jarrett has torn his ACL and will miss the rest of the season, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported

Falcons defensive lineman Grady Jarrett suffered a leg injury during Sunday’s loss to the Titans and did not return. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Jarrett has torn his ACL and will miss the remainder of the 2023 season.

Jarrett, a former Pro Bowl defensive tackle, is a big loss for this Falcons defense. The team will likely look to LaCale London, Albert Huggins and Ta’Quon Graham to fill in for Jarrett. 

Atlanta can also lean a little more on David Onyemata and Calais Campbell, both of whom can play multiple positions up front. We’ll see if the team decides to make a move at the deadline to bolster its interior defensive line.

NFL teams have until Tuesday afternoon to complete any trade.

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5 Falcons to watch vs. Commanders in Week 6

The Falcons have talent on both sides of the ball, but, like Washington, is relying on a second-year quarterback.

The Washington Commanders face the Atlanta Falcons for the third consecutive season in Week 6. Can Washington extend its two-game winning streak over Atlanta?

The Commanders enter the game, having lost three in a row. Surprisingly, Washington’s defense has been the biggest issue, as the Commanders rank 31st in scoring defense.

Atlanta presents another challenge for Washington’s struggling defense. The Falcons lean heavily on the running game but also have some excellent weapons in the passing game.

Is this the week the Commanders rebound on defense?

Here are five Falcons whom Washington will need to control to win Sunday’s game.

Falcons DT Grady Jarrett on Bryce Young: He was drafted No. 1 for a reason

Does Grady Jarrett think Bryce Young’s size puts opposing defenses at an advantage?

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Hey, has anyone asked Bryce Young’s upcoming opponents about the whole undersized thing? Because if there’s a concern about how the 5-foot-10, 200-pounder will hold up against professional players, perhaps asking said players he’ll be up against would be rather insightful, no?

Luckily, Jane Slater just did.

On Tuesday’s episode of Good Morning Football, the host and NFL Network reporter posed the question to Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett—who’ll be seeing Young at least twice this upcoming season. Here’s what the ninth-year veteran said of the rookie quarterback when asked if his smaller stature is an advantage or disadvantage for opposing defenses:

“I don’t know if . . . either, because I’m a ‘small’ defensive tackle,” he replied. “I think the man was drafted No. 1 for a reason—and I think we’re all gonna find out a while, over time. So you gotta give him his due credit until he proves otherwise. So it is what it is. Gotta prepare for him.”

As he himself notes, Jarrett is also considered a tad undersized for his position at the NFL level. Nonetheless, his six-foot, 305-pound frame hasn’t stopped him from becoming a two-time Pro Bowler and one of the most dominant players in the NFC South.

But will Young’s stop him from a similar future? Well, based on the early returns from his peers, the 2023 first overall pick should be just fine.

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Falcons DL Grady Jarrett: ‘It’s been a really great offseason’

“I think it’s time for us to really reap the rewards of just being patient,” said Falcons DL Grady Jarrett.

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Falcons defensive lineman Grady Jarrett has been one of the NFL’s most underappreciated players since entering the league as a fifth-round pick in 2015. While a lack of surrounding talent has held Jarrett back in recent years, that should change in 2023 following Atlanta’s busy offseason.

The Falcons signed defensive tackle David Onyemata, defensive end Calais Campbell, edge rusher Bud Dupree, and drafted Ohio State’s Zach Harrison. Plus, the team upgraded its secondary by adding cornerback Jeff Okudah and signing safety Jessie Bates III.

Jarrett joined Chris Long’s Green Light podcast this week and discussed the team’s many defensive additions.

“It’s been a really great offseason, especially for the defensive side, which I’m super, super excited about,” said Jarrett. “But I take pride definitely in being a mainstay here, and hopefully to continue to push it for years to come.”

The Falcons defensive lineman said he thinks the team’s patience over the last few offseasons will finally pay off in 2023.

“I think it’s time for us to really reap the rewards of just being patient and bringing in guys that [are] ready to compete right now.”

Jarrett goes on to discuss the Falcons’ gradient uniforms, the team’s rivalry with the Saints and playing against former Buccaneers QB Tom Brady. Watch the full episode of Green Light with Chris Long, as shared by the show’s YouTube channel below.

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Grady Jarrett thinks Falcons can be a ‘really strong defensive team’

Grady Jarrett believes the #Falcons can be a ‘really strong defensive team’ in 2023

For years, the Atlanta Falcons were a team known mostly for their offensive proficiency. Longtime staples such as quarterback Matt Ryan and wide receiver Julio Jones were once the faces of the team while the defense continuously ranked in the bottom half of the league.

After a busy offseason, Atlanta is hoping to finally change that narrative this season. The team invested considerable resources on defense, signing Calais Campbell, David Onyemata and Jessie Bates III to a unit that already featured two stars in Grady Jarrett and A.J. Terrell.

The Falcons’ aggressive approach has convinced Jarrett that the defense can become the strength of this team in 2023.

“I envision this team being a really strong defensive team,” Jarrett told Falcons reporters on Tuesday. “At the core, I think we’re going to be really strong up front on the offense and defensive line. So I think that’s really going to drive us forward.”

When asked about the free-agent additions, Jarrett sounded optimistic about what Onyemata and Campbell are going to bring, especially in terms of leadership ability.

“To have a guy like David Onyemata come in is going to be great,” Jarrett continued. “To have a leader like Calais Campbell come in is going to be crazy. It’s almost like reminiscing of when we had Dwight Freeney come in my second year. When you get a legend of the game to come in, because Calais is that, it just raises the bar for everybody.”

The Falcons have improved on defense, but they’ve also invested a lot of money into their offensive line. Right guard Chris Lindstrom signed a record extension and right tackle Kaleb McGary returned on a three-year deal.

Jarrett also stated how important it was to retain guys like Lindstrom and McGary, not just because of how talented both players are, but because it raises the intensity of practice each day.

“That’s important for me too because those are the guys we train against, so if you’re training against the best, you’re only going to get better,” said Jarrett.

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Falcons DC Ryan Nielsen has high praise for Grady Jarrett

#Falcons DC Ryan Nielsen on Grady Jarrett: “There’s definitely a place for a guy like that”

Falcons defensive lineman Grady Jarrett is one of the NFL’s best interior linemen, but the team has been unable to surround him with enough talent to maximize his skill set.

This will be one of the tasks of new Falcons defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen, who was officially introduced on Monday. Nielsen’s background as a defensive line specialist could make him the perfect coach to get the most out of Jarrett.

When asked to describe Jarrett at his introductory press conference, Nielsen wasn’t short on adjectives.

“Explosive, tough, disruptive, penetrator, a pass rusher,” Nielsen said of the former Pro Bowl defensive lineman. “There’s definitely a place for a guy like that, definitely a place. So, I’m excited about working with him for sure.”

Nielsen certainly has his work cut out for him as Jarrett is one of the few established players on this Atlanta defense. Upon his hiring, many wondered if the Falcons’ new defensive coordinator was planning on changing schemes.

While Nielsen declined to completely define his scheme — aside from saying it would be a hybrid with multiple fronts — Jarrett will likely remain as a key player in whatever scheme the team runs this season.

Will Nielsen be able to transform Atlanta into that kind of unit he had for so long in New Orleans? That remains to be seen, but at least the Falcons will have the salary cap space to add talent this offseason.

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