Atlanta Falcons nearing surprise blockbuster deal landing star pass rusher

After an offseason of failure at the edge position it appears the Falcons front office is finally going to make a move. Terry Fontenot has taken much-deserved criticism for Atlanta's lack of moves on the defensive side.

Tonight's bombshell has Atlanta changing this with a trade landing star Patriot pass rusher Matthew Judon in exchange for a third-round pick. It is a move that would go a long way in lending credibility to Atlanta's defense.

While the move wouldn't fix all of the concerns it does solve Atlanta's biggest issue. The lack of a star pass rusher limits a defense that has exciting young pieces. Judon completely changes this perspective and gives Atlanta a chance to have a defense capable of supporting their playoff-caliber offensive talent.

If Atlanta can land Judon as expected what will be most interesting is what moves Atlanta makes to open up the needed cap space. With just over $3 million in current cap space, the Falcons will need to make roster cuts or extend current veterans.

A.J. Terrell stands out as an obvious extension option while Chris Lindstrom or Jessie Bates could have their deals re-worked. Taylor Heinicke, Richie Grant, and Lorenzo Carter are all possible cuts that would open up a bit of cap space.

This is a move that signals Atlanta has belief in this roster and the type of trade you would expect after spending $180 million on a veteran quarterback.

Judon's time in New England is unsurprisingly coming to an end with the star pass rusher loudly letting his discontent be known over the past months. What his contract expectations are moving forward and how Atlanta opens up the space to pay him are both important final pieces of a trade that appears to be all but done.

The Falcons landing Judon is a reason to believe in this team's defensive potential and that they have finally landed the star passer the team has lacked for much of the last decade.