A three-way trade will bring the Falcons the player they have coveted all along – defensive end John Abraham.
Atlanta sent the 15th overall pick in the first round — which it was unwilling to give up for Abraham — to the Broncos for the draft’s 29th overall pick in the first round, along with Denver’s third- and fourth-round picks, although one of those picks might be for 2007.
Then, flush with its new picks, Atlanta turned around and dealt the 29th pick to the Jets for Abraham, the player it coveted. The Falcons had a contract agreement in place with Abraham from negotiations last week. So in this deal, the Falcons came away with the premium pass rusher in this year’s free-agent class, plus extra third- and fourth-round picks.
In this trade, the Jets came away with the draft’s Nos. 4 and 29 overall picks, with the 29th pick being an improvement over the 31st pick that New York had agreed to acquire last week from Seattle in exchange for Abraham.
The Broncos also benefited. They have double first-round picks — the 15th overall selection from Atlanta and the 22nd overall selection they acquired from Washington for Denver’s first-round pick last year.
It’s scary to think how quick Abraham will be on the turf in the Georgia Dome, though he has had trouble staying healthy during his career, missing 23 games over the last six seasons. If he can stay on the field, he will make an already solid Falcons defense even better.
