The Atlanta Falcons need a pass rusher. Last season they ranked towards the bottom in terms of sacks on the opposing offense and have pinpointed that as a top need for 2015. The Falcons are already predicted to draft a pass rusher in April, but have been acquiring depth to help out as well. However, rumors surfaced on Tuesday regarding a potential blockbuster trade that has Falcons fans getting excited.
On Tuesday, it was reported by Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that Seattle Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett is requesting a trade from the Seattle Seahawks to the Atlanta Falcons and wants a new contract to go along with it. Bennett is currently inked to a four-year contract worth $28.5 million that he signed a year ago after Seattle won the Super Bowl. However, the Falcons have former Seahawks coordinator Dan Quinn as their head coach and either Bennett wants to reunite with him or he simply just wants a new contract and knows Seattle will not offer it up.
However, Falcons fans should table their excitement for the time being. According to NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport is reporting that Bennett has not asked for a trade or new contract from the Seahawks as Seattle is claiming they have no idea where this report is coming from. Rapoport writes that while Bennett credits his success to Quinn, he is not unhappy in Seattle and is not looking to move from the former Super Bowl champs.
So where does this leave Atlanta? Right now the Falcons have just over $20 million in cap space after spending most of free agency signing depth and not true starters. Atlanta has to re-sign Julio Jones to a new contract, something both Quinn and general manager Thomas Dimitroff say is a priority while they also look to acquire depth at positions like running back and in the secondary.
The draft could be where the Falcons get their pass rushing needs, although fans will not be happy the team is putting their faith in a rookie. According to most NFL mock drafts, the Falcons could select either Dante Fowler Jr or Vic Beasley who both have ties to Quinn in the past. Both are ranked very high in terms of pass rushing. Atlanta fans are still waiting to see what happens with that extra cap space. They are not like roll-over minutes where the extra money carries over to 2016. The Falcons have to spend it and to some fan's dismay, it could just simply go to Jones.
