5 Atlanta Falcons who cannot be traded this off-season
By Nick Halden
4. The season A.J. Terrell had established him as a top-five corner in the league
Much like Jake Matthews, it is hard to be recognized as a great player when everything around you is in shambles. The Atlanta Falcons defense played hard and showed a lot of heart this season but with such limited talent, their ceiling was always low.
A.J. Terrell was the one breakout star who Atlanta was able to consistently count on defensively. Throwing at A.J. during the 2021 season was Atlanta’s best chance at getting their defense off the field and getting a stop.
His elite ability to recover even when beaten and find his way to the football had him locking down whomever he lined up against. The one thing that is worth noting here is the fact that Terrell very rarely traveled this season.
He had great success shutting down good receivers but he lined up where the scheme demanded not where the best player was. If there is a step forward for Terrell from here it is the Atlanta defense allowing Terrell to travel and shut down the opposing team’s best weapon.
Terrell is a player much like Kyle Pitts who should be in Atlanta for years to come. If forced to pick two players to build around over the next five years A.J. Terrell and Kyle Pitts are the obvious answers to the question.