Atlanta Falcons: Team Monitoring, Comfortable With Dontari Poe’s Weight

The Atlanta Falcons put a stipulation in new defensive tackle Dontari Poe’s contract that should he keep his weight down he can make $500,000

One huge move this offseason by the Atlanta Falcons was their acquisition of former Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Dontari Poe. He’s a menace along the defensive line and can help everyone around him thanks to his ability to draw offensive linemen’s attention.

For the Falcons though they had one concern with Poe — his conditioning. In the past the 11th overall pick out of Memphis struggled with his weight. After signing his contract reports were he was in the 340-pound range, but he says he will be at 330-pounds for the season.

To help ensure that’s the case the Falcons put a stipulation in his one-year $8 million deal that should he hit his weight goals he could add $500,000. So far in offseason workouts head coach Dan Quinn is happy with how Poe is doing.

"“I would say he looks really good,” Quinn said via Vaughn McClure of ESPN. “The team came back in shape. And it was cool for me to see him like, ‘How’s it going, getting dropped in here as a new guy?’ He said, ‘It’s cool.’ I’m not allowed to be on the field with him for a few more weeks, but word on the street was he looked really good (during workouts).”"

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Poe had 200 tackles and 13 sacks in five seasons with the Chiefs, but says he believes he will be even more effective in Atlanta where Quinn plans to use him as more of an attacker than a space eater like he was in Kansas City. Of course in order for Quinn to use him in such a role, Poe has to continue to do his part and be in shape and ready to go when his number is called.