Atlanta Falcons fleece New England in long overdue blockbuster deal

The last time the Atlanta Falcons had a consistently capable pass rusher was John Abraham. Yes, there was the one great Vic Beasley Jr. year or surprise veteran performers but no one who brought a consistent level of stability getting to the quarterback.

Abraham hasn't worn a Falcons jersey since the 2012 season. Well over a decade and much of that time spent with Atlanta unable to generate a consistent pass rush. After missing out at the position in the draft and free agency it was viewed as the team's biggest failure.

Terry Fontenot hadn't managed to add any player who had proven capable of getting to the quarterback after losing Calais Campbell and Bud Dupree. Atlanta fans were left talking themselves into why Lorenzo Carter and Arnold Ebiketie would generate a capable pass rush.

Atlanta remained patient and took advantage of Judon's frustration with New England

A duo Atlanta fans will no longer have to endure with Wednesday's blockbuster trade bringing former Patriot pass rusher Matthew Judon to Atlanta. The Falcons sent the Patriots a third-round pick in exchange for a player who was obviously upset with his previous team.

If healthy, Judon should be counted on for at least double-digit sacks and gives Atlanta their first established pass rusher in far too long. To acquire Judon for only a third-rounder is impressive and heavily tilts the trade in Atlanta's favor.

To be fair to New England, this is likely top of the market value for a player who they traded far too late. Judon is coming off his worst season with the team and spent the majority of 2023 injured. The veteran edge rusher had only one year remaining on his deal and couldn't have gotten a far better return a season ago.

The Patriots deluding themselves into believing they could compete with Mac Jones is what helped waste Judon's time with the team and tank what could have been a far better trade haul. The Patriots now finally understand they are in a rebuild and are acting accordingly.

For Atlanta, this is the biggest move the team has made since signing quarterback Kirk Cousins. It gives reason to believe the Falcons can play complimentary defense to a star-studded offensive attack.

In what has been a long half-decade Atlanta hasn't assembled this much talent and had reason to hope the playoff drought will finally be coming to an end. Landing Matthew Judon is a signal that this Atlanta team understood what needed to be done and now has the pieces to become a surprise NFC threat.