Atlanta Falcons: Versatility crucial for success of defense in 2016
Dan Quinn will be restless until the Atlanta Falcons defense is as dominant as he wants it to be.
It was always going to take some time for the Falcons defense to rise from the dire situation it was in all of 365 days ago.
Yet after a year in which the unit saw significant improvements with much of the same personnel that made up the league’s worst defense a season before, only now are we seeing Quinn begin to weave his magic.
The key this offseason?
Versatility.
Quinn wants his defense to shift up another gear, and to do so he is challenging his players to line up at multiple positions while also putting them in the best position to succeed.
Throw away the depth chart, at this point of the offseason it’s meaningless. Right now it’s like a game of musical chairs and only time will tell us where each player will land.
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Vic Beasley — the Falcons’ best hope of rejuvenating the anaemic pass rush this season — will in fact spend less time rushing off the edge, but more time lining up at linebacker. Beasley will be used at defensive end in nickel packages, which means he’ll spend at least 60 percent of his snaps hurrying quarterbacks with the ever-growing use of sub-packages.
Beasley’s move isn’t the only change to the defensive line. Ra’Shede Hageman will help fill the void at defensive end by spending time on the edge, while free agent acquisition of Derrick Shelby gives the unit even more versatility as he can line up across the line.
Courtney Upshaw‘s role is yet to be determined, also. In his four seasons with the Ravens prior to moving to Atlanta this offseason, Upshaw played at outside linebacker. While he could still wind up in one of the linebacker spots, Quinn wants to test him out at defensive end.
"“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.”"
There will also be changes to the secondary. Robert Alford is easily the second best cornerback on the roster behind Desmond Trufant, but he will kick inside to nickelback this year. This move makes a ton of sense for Alford, who has the agility and quick feet to handle tough assignments against fidgety slot receivers.
Alford will still line up outside in the base defense, meaning he will need to be able to seamlessly move from the two spots.
Quinn is ensuring there will be change on defense for the Falcons. He is demanding more of his players to be able to line up in multiple spots, but it ultimately comes down to putting his chess pieces in the best place to succeed and disrupt offenses.
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With a year to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of his unit, Quinn’s changes will help the defense make its next step on the road to recovery.