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Atlanta Falcons: Courtney Upshaw trying out at defensive end, per report

By Freddie Boston

Nov 22, 2015; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens linebacker Courtney Upshaw (91) celebrates in the fourth quarter against the St. Louis Rams at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 22, 2015; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens linebacker Courtney Upshaw (91) celebrates in the fourth quarter against the St. Louis Rams at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports /
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Atlanta Falcons head coach Dan Quinn is committed to moving his players around, and is reportedly trying out Courtney Upshaw at outside linebacker.

Determining which players have the versatility to move around on defense is a key to the offseason for the Atlanta Falcons. Head coach Dan Quinn has already been experimenting with the move of Vic Beasley to linebacker, but he isn’t stopping there.

Ra’Shede Hageman is expected to spend more time at defensive end rather than operating inside, and free agent signing Courtney Upshaw could be about to follow suit.

According to Mark Inabinett of AL.com, Upshaw is spending some time at defensive end:

"“Vic Beasley, last year’s first-round draft pick, has stepped back from defensive end to strongside linebacker. Upshaw has gotten work at defensive end. While the Ravens used a 3-4 base defense, the Falcons use a 4-3.“They’re trying to figure out where they want to play me,” Upshaw said. “I’m just trying to learn every position that they want me to learn, so that I can go in there and compete.””"

Coach Quinn is committed to improving a defense that was the league’s worst ranked when he took over as head coach in 2015. We saw baby steps last season to the pass defense and a big jump forward against the run, but there is still a ton of work to be done.

Upshaw is 6-foot-2, 272 pounds so certainly has the size to play at defensive end. If he can hold up against the run and offer some pass rush, the Falcons might decide to keep him there on a longer-term basis.

Now is the time for experimenting, as Quinn noted.

"“As we get closer to it, we’ll navigate the roles, but now’s the time, in my opinion, to create the experiments, what you can do and see if we can have the vision for the player come to life.”"

At this stage, it’s almost impossible to put together a depth chart for the Falcons’ defense. Everybody seems to be moving about trying to find the position they will fit best in. For now, it’s all about flashing versatility to be moved around.

Next: Offseason key for Falcons to get in sync

What are your thoughts on Upshaw’s move to defensive end?

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