Troy Andersen has flashed his blazing speed and playmaking ability when on the field; keyword: when.
The linebacker, who was the main return in the Julio Jones trade, has struggled to stay on the field. It has been one thing after another, which could prompt the front office to trade him while they still can.
Troy Andersen is an interesting trade piece for the Atlanta Falcons
In three seasons, Troy Andersen has played more than seven games onceāhis rookie year when he played sparingly.
He has gone into each of the past two seasons as the starting linebacker, but has yet to make it through four games without a significant injury.
Last year, he had a career game in Week 4 against the Saints but left in the fourth quarter, was out for five weeks, returned for one game, was out for one game, returned for two games, and then missed the rest of the season.
That is hard to manage as a coaching staff. You want players who you can count on to be on the field each week.
The Falcons brought in Devine Deablo this offseason, who they love, to go with Kaden Elliss and JD Bertrand. Deablo could be the placement.
Elliss is the leader and someone they count on, Bertrand saw significant playing time late last season, and Jalon Walker has the versatility to play off-ball linebacker.
This team has room to trade Andersen to a team that wants to take on his talent and injury risk.
Perhaps, he could be the piece that gets a trade done for Jalen Ramsey. With a lack of picks next year, they need to find an alternate route to get a deal done, and Andersen is the perfect option.
Trading him would be a massive risk; he has shown flashes of a future superstar. But at what point do the injuries overshadow everything?
It is something the coaching staff and front office have to figure out before the second-round pick starts his fourth season.