Dontari Poe goes from a team that can’t seem to reach the AFC championship game to a team that’s trying to fix the cause of the biggest collapse in Super Bowl history.
The Falcons signed the former Chiefs nose tackle Thursday, according to Pro Football Talk.
Poe had just 2.5 sacks combined over the last two seasons after making the Pro Bowl in both 2013 and 2014 with a total of 10.5 sacks.
In Atlanta, Poe might not be asked to rush the passer quite as much. He’s going from a 3-4 base defense in Kansas City to a 4-3 in Atlanta, where he is likely to line up next to fellow defensive tackle Grady Jarrett.
Jarrett, who will be 24 next season, had three sacks in the 2016 regular season and three sacks in Super Bowl LI. He played 56.7 percent of the Falcons’ snaps in 2016, more than any defensive lineman on the team.
If Jarrett’s Super Bowl performance is a sign of what’s to come, Poe can concentrate on stopping the run.
Falcons outside linebacker Vic Beasley led the NFL with 15.5 sacks last season, but he didn’t have a sack in the postseason. The Falcons also had 15.5 sacks from defensive linemen last season, and the addition of Poe could make Jarrett more formidable and keep Beasley from having to do all the work.
About Mike Batista
Mike is a longtime NFL analyst and Steelers fan. He currently writes for Steelers Addicts, and has also written for Bleacher Report.
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