Falcons Fumble for Pass Rush Solutions, Za’Darius Smith Signage a Desperate Gamble

The Atlanta Falcons’ pass rush has reached crisis point. The team’s top two edge rushers have been lost to injury and suspension, prompting the signing of veteran Za’Darius Smith to a one-year contract worth $6 million.

This move is a telling sign of the team’s lack of depth in its defense. With stalwarts Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. already facing extended absences due to injury and suspension, it was clear that this unit was fragile from the start. The Falcons’ decision to rely on veteran edge rushers Samson Ebukam, Azeez Ojulari, and Cameron Thomas rather than developing its own talent has come back to haunt them.

Za’Darius Smith brings a wealth of experience to the Falcons’ depleted pass rush, with 70.5 career sacks under his belt and multiple seasons with double-digit sacks. However, his signing is little more than a Band-Aid solution – it doesn’t address the underlying issues that led to this crisis in the first place.

The Falcons’ reliance on one-year deals for their pass rushers is a trend that has become all too familiar in modern NFL roster construction. This approach prioritizes short-term fixes over long-term sustainability, investing in veteran stopgaps rather than developing young talent or scouting process.

This strategy was seen to great success by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2019, when they rode a series of one-year wonders to their first Super Bowl title in decades. However, the Chiefs’ success was short-lived, and their roster eventually returned to its true form – a mishmash of aging stars and unproven youngsters.

The Falcons’ situation is more dire, with their top pass rushers out for extended periods. Za’Darius Smith will need to produce immediately if they hope to maintain any semblance of defensive competence, putting even more pressure on Brandon Dorlus, the team’s interior lineman who has been working as an end in training camp.

The signing of Za’Darius Smith is a welcome boost, but it’s unlikely to be enough on its own to salvage a faltering pass rush. The Falcons will need to find ways to develop its own talent and invest in long-term solutions rather than relying on short-term fixes. The bigger question, though, is whether this trend of prioritizing veteran stopgaps over young talent will ultimately prove unsustainable.