As Dan Quinn prepares for his second offseason as the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, defense will be a priority. The Falcons have a lot of expiring contracts on defense and a lot of holes to fill on the field. Quinn is expected to look in both the free agent market and NFL Draft for help as a familiar face could be a potential target for the former defensive coordinator.
Could Quinn take a look at his former team for help in the Falcons' defense? According to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com, Bruce Irvin could be a potential free agent target for the Falcons. Last offseason, Irvin told Samuel Logan of Black Sports Online that he planned to play in Atlanta in 2016. However, he recently told ESPN's Sheil Kapadia that he would be willing to take a pay cut in order to remain with the Seattle Seahawks.
McClure reports that Irvin could likely be pulled from Seattle with more money from Atlanta. The question is whether the Falcons will put up the money. Quinn and Irvin already have a relationship which gives Atlanta an upper hand over any other team outside of Seattle. A contract for the linebacker could be costly. Last season, Atlanta signed Brooks Reed who barely saw the field this year to a five-year, $22.5 million deal. Irvin is worth at least double that.
What about Michael Bennett? The defensive end made a stink last year about wanting a new contract from the Seahawks. He is set to be a $7 million cap hit in 2016 while being a $9.5 million hit in 2017 when his contract expires. Seattle could look to part ways with Bennett if they bring back Irvin. According to ESPN's Britt McHenry, Bennett referred to the ending of this season like a divorce. If he departs Seattle, Atlanta will come calling.
While the free agent market has some nice options for the Falcons, the draft could be where the team gets another star. Vic Beasley proved worth the investment in 2015. Can the Falcons strike gold for a third year in the first round? ESPN mock drafts have the Falcons linked to Reggie Ragland with the No.17 pick. The elite linebacker became the star of the Alabama Crimson Tide's dominant defense. While he might not be a flashy draft pick, he is smart on the field and a consistent threat at the middle linebacker position. That is exactly what the Falcons need at that spot. A'Shawn Robinson could be another Crimson Tide star to head to Atlanta as the defensive lineman would be a perfect addition to the pass-rushing efforts.
Atlanta needs a star linebacker to help anchor the defense. That has been one major need over the past few seasons for the Falcons and Quinn will address it this year. The question is whether or not he wants to spend big on established talent or draft someone to develop.
