The Atlanta Falcons are by no means completely set on the offensive side of the ball following a hiccup against the San Francisco 49ers in primetime, but their trade deadline activity might focus more on adding more impact players to a young and improving defense.
With linebacker Divine Deablo suffering a forearm injury that is likely to deprive Raheem Morris of one of his leaders in the middle, look no further than the open market for immediate replacements. This coincides with NFL.com listing linebacker as the biggest area of need this team must address in the coming days.
Leaning on past connections might be a good way to bring some new talent into the mix, and the Falcons might be able to pick up yet another impactful player by leaning on one of their coordinators' favorite players from last season.
New York Jets linebacker Quincy Williams, who is not going to cost a ton in a trade due to recent injury problems as well as his desire for a new contract in the coming months, is the best short-term upgrade for this team, especially given his familiarity with defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich.
Falcons must pursue trade for Jets LB Quincy Williams
Williams had his best years under Ulbrich in New York, even earning an All-Pro nod. While his aggressive style of play can lead to him getting led out of position by smarter quarterbacks, he is one of the fastest and most aggressive inside linebackers in the sport.
Not only are the Jets a motivated seller looking for draft picks, but they are unlikely to retain Williams after paying fellow linebacker Jamien Sherwood $15 million per year. Atlanta needs both depth and star power at the position, and bringing Williams in could help quench that thirst.
Even with Deablo and Troy Andersen both hurt, Williams will likely find himself established as the locked-in starter. He is a free agent at the end of this season, but the Falcons can now get an advance look at him and see if he is worth extending in the future.
The Falcons' defense is finally good enough to help them overcome some up-and-down performances on the offensive side of the ball, and adding a player like Williams to a defense that is not fully formed right now would be an injection of talent and speed that can take a good unit into the realm of great in one fell swoop.