Atlanta Falcons tackle depth post McGary illness will be fine

The Atlanta Falcons announced that rookie left tackle Kaleb McGary will undergo a “minimally invasive heart procedure” after he fell ill in practice Tuesday. Injuries will test the Falcons early in the pre-season.

Apparently, this is a procedure that McGary has had a couple times in college and the Atlanta Falcons were well aware of this issue. According to NFL.com, the last time McGary had this procedure he missed about six weeks. They went on to say that “A timetable for his recovery is expected after the procedure takes place”.

So what happens next for the Falcons and the offensive line?

According to the depth chart that the Falcons released a few days ago, Ty Sambrailo is the current starter at right tackle, followed by McGary and then rookie Jaelin Robinson out of Temple. However, the Falcons do have the luxury of having a couple guys on the roster right now that have started multiple games at tackle in their careers.

Jamon Brown is currently listed as James Carpenter’s backup at left guard. However, Brown may be the most versatile offensive lineman the Falcons have. He has started games at right tackle, right guard, left guard and left tackle during his career. He is a guy that the Falcons and offensive line coach Chris Morgan can give an opportunity to during the five games this preseason to see how he plays at that spot.

Another option the Falcons have on the roster includes John Wetzel. The 6’7 325-pound guard has also played multiple positions during his time in the NFL. From 2016-2018 Wetzel started 24 games at tackle and guard for the Arizona Cardinals.

While the initial depth takes a temporary hit with McGary missing the next six to eight weeks, Thomas Dimitroff did a fantastic job of acquiring depth on the offensive line with guys that can play multiple spots. Do not expect the Falcons to hit the free agent market or make a trade because of this temporary setback, unless the diagnosis is worse than originally indicated.