The Atlanta Falcons might be 3-5 and amid a three-game losing streak. but general manager Terry Fontenot knows that the trade deadline could be his final opportunity to save his job. Even after losing in gut-wrenching fashion in Week 9, this team still has legitimate postseason aspirations.
The NFC is notoriously weak, so it's not crazy for Raheem Morris' group to pull a reverse-2024. And all of that starts by making the right moves before tomorrow. It's been reported that the Tennessee Titans could look to trade second-year DT T'Vondre Sweat, and the Dirty Birds should be all over that.
The 1-8 Titans are tied for the NFL's worst record, and it looks like a fire-sale is imminent. Sweat, Calvin Ridley, Tony Pollard, and countless other veterans could be on the move before 4:00 p.m. ET rolls around—which could see Atlanta kick the tires on finding some intriguing ways to upgrade the roster.
Falcons need to call the Titans about young DT T'Vondre Sweat
Since being drafted with the 38th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the 24-year-old has made an instant impact. Prior to Week 9, Sweat logged sacks in back-to-back games, but struggled against Justin Herbert and the Chargers on Sunday afternoon.
According to Pro Football Focus, the ex-All American out of Texas was credited with a missed tackle, while his 27.7 tackling grade marked a season-low. Moreover, it was the only time this season his tackling grade was below 69—which is far from an encouraging outing right before the deadline.
With that said, the 6-foot-4, 366-pound behemoth of a nose tackle remains one of the best young IDLs in the NFL, so the Titans trading a potential franchise cornerstone at the deadline amid a clear rebuild would be a grave mistake for first-year general manager Mike Borgonzi.
But if Tennessee is serious about retooling this roster to help reigning No. 1 pick Cam Ward succeed, acquiring as much draft capital as possible is a good starting point. This roster is still years away from being remotely competitive, even if they do boast a few impact players on both sides of the ball.
Since Jeffery Simmons is almost certainly going to remain a Titan for the forseeable future, Sweat is a different case. If they are offered enough, he could be moved, but I highly doubt Fontenot would want to part with a third-round pick in a draft where they don't have a first-rounder for a nose tackle.
Moreover, Sam Roberts led all defensive tackles in PFF grade in Week 9, and both Zach Harrison and Brandon Dorlus have been impressive this season. The most likely move Atlanta could make that would involve their defensive line would be to trade veteran defensive tackle David Onyemata.
Even if it doesn't happen, Sweat is worth calling about.