Now that the Atlanta Falcons have lost Kaden Elliss back to New Orleans, Ian Cunningham wasted no time replacing his spot in the linebacker room. The Falcons already agreed to terms with LB Christian Harris to a one-year deal, but he wasn't the only linebacker they've agreed to sign in free agency.
According to Adam Schefter, the Falcons are also planning to sign former Miami Dolphins and Arizona Cardinals' linebacker Channing Tindall to a one-year deal. This is another instance of Jeff Ulbrich chasing youth and athleticism in the LB room, notably from another reclamation project.
Tindall, like Harris, was a third-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft who won a national championship in college. At 6-foot-2 and 237 pounds with his athleticism, it's genuinely shocking that the 25-year-old never morphed into more of a rotational LB in the NFL, but in this defensive scheme, never say never, even if Elliss' departure still hurts.
However, Tindall is more than just a player who fits Ulbrich's MO. He's well-versed in the Peach State because he played his college football at the University of Georgia, where he was among the best linebackers in the nation. So this could very easily spell the end of veteran LB JD Bertrand in Atlanta.
JD Bertrand is on the chopping block as the Falcons revamp their LB room
Bertrand has been believed to be on the chopping block for a while, but this was the first piece of evidence from the Dirty Birds that this could be true. The second-year LB was healthy scratched in the win over the Buccaneers, and his playing time decreased dramatically as the season progressed.
While Divine Deablo was on IR, Bertrand was the one who assumed his role in the starting lineup, and that went horribly. He struggled mightily in coverage to the point that Ronnie Harrison later took his job and that the only use the previous coaching staff had for him was as a full-time special teams guy.
Given how much the LB room suffered while Deablo was hurt, Ulbrich worked smarter. Both Harris and Tindall are great athletes who can play off-ball if need be, and both of them will be called upon to replace Elliss' impact. And by the looks of it, it'll sound like that'll come at the expense of Bertrand.
They are both reclamation projects, but as Ulbrich commits to more defensive versatility in Atlanta, especially with the green dot, it appears as though the former All-SEC LB could be the final straw pertaining to Bertrand's future as a Falcon. And frankly, this type of decision is long overdue, so hopefully Tindall is able to find a permanent home back where it all began.