Atlanta Falcons remain quiet at deadline despite clear roster needs

Atlanta Falcons fans watched as the trade deadline passed and the front office opted not to make a move. To be fair to Atlanta it did appear that they were in on at least one of Washington's pass rushers but were simply outbid. Spending a second round pick for Sweat is an odd decision unless you believe you are going to re-sign him as a building block for your franchise.

Giving an early day two pick for a pass rusher wouldn't have been the right decision. Terry Fontenot made the best decision when it comes to Sweat, however, can the same be said for Chase Young? Young was traded to the 49ers for a 3rd round pick that looks to be past the 100th pick in the draft.

Why Fontenot didn't make this deal is clear, Young is in a contract year, with an injury history, is not a great defender against the run, and tends to go off book. While Young is supremely talented the Falcons simply viewed the risk higher than the potential reward. Whether or not this was the right decision considering Atlanta has two third rounders is up for debate.

The Falcons clearly needed improvements along the defensive line, at receiver, and edge rusher. Terry sticking with Atlanta's current talent speaks to the fact there simply weren't many deals out there.

Looking around the league at what did get done it is clear that Fontenot made the best decision. The only criticism could be the Chase Young deal outside of that what player was moved Atlanta should have been in on for the price?

Yes, the Falcons are 4-4 with a quarterback debate and a struggling offense. However, the defense had been consistent before last week and there are reasons to believe the offense will improve regardless of who the quarterback is.

Fontenot not making a splashy move at the deadline speaks to a front office and coaching staff that believes in what they are doing and will continue to be patient.