It was a very busy Tuesday night in Atlanta.
First the team traded former first round pick T.J. Duckett to Washington and received wide receiver Ashley Lelie from Denver in a three-team swap. Then shortly after the trade, Atlanta essentially locked up big, space-eating defensive tackle Grady Jackson ESPN.com is reporting.
The deal is contingent on Jackson passing a physical on Wednesday, but if there are no problems with the former Green Bay Packers’ health, the Falcons just dramatically improved their run defense.
Even at this late stage of his career, Jackson remains an interior defender capable of clogging things up in the middle and of playing effectively against the run. He often commands double-team blocking because of his size and strength, and that allows teammates to flow more readily to the ball. His stamina appeared to be much improved in 2005, and his 16 starts were his most since the 2001 season.
With injuries plaguing linebacker Ed Hartwell and defensive end Brady Smith last year, Atlanta couldn’t stop opponents from running down its throat. The defense finished 26th in the NFL in total rushing yards allowed (2,063) and total rushing yards allowed per game (128.9).
The addition of John Abraham over the offseason gave the Falcons yet another pass rusher to the defensive line, but failed to address the run defense. Chad Lavalais started last year at the tackle position opposite Rod Coleman, but he has quickly fallen out of favor in Atlanta.
With Hartwell returning from season-ending knee surgery and the addition of Jackson, Atlanta hopes it finally has the pieces in place to stop the run.
After being pounded by the Packers on Saturday night, head coach Jim Mora pleaded with team officials to get him a No. 3 wide out and a big defensive tackle to plug up the middle of the defensive line.
Well, the genie popped out of the magic lantern, because Mora got Lelie and Jackson virtually in one hour last night.
