Matthew Judon being dealt to the Atlanta Falcons is arguably the biggest NFL news in recent weeks. The Falcons get a Pro Bowl pass-rusher, and the New England Patriots can now focus solely on rebuilding in the post Bill Belichick era. However, the Patriots and Judon did try to resolve things before the trade went through. There is no bad blood between the two sides and the Patriots even let Judon pick his destination. An interesting factoid considering it is being reported that the Chicago Bears had the same offer on the table as the Atlanta Falcons. In a recent interview with Kayla Burton of NBC Sports Boston, Judon had this to say:
“I just feel like we never sat down and really came to the table as men,” Judon told Burton. “I think that’s the biggest point. They kind of didn’t know where I was at. We kind of didn’t know where they were at. It was just always through text messages and phone calls. We just never sat down. I think that was the biggest, kind of, disconnect.”
New England and the pass-rusher did work together one last time before the trade. As alluded to already, it has been made clear there are no ill-feelings toward one another.
Matthew Judon Reveals “Biggest Disconnect,” With Patriots Before Being Traded to Falcons
Matthew Judon’s Potential Impact For the Atlanta Falcons
For the first time in seemingly forever, the Atlanta Falcons have a star pass-rusher. Judon may not be T.J. Watt or Micah Parsons. However, he has been to four Pro Bowls for a reason and was arguably the lone bright spot on New England’s roster in the post Tom Brady era. For a Falcons defensive unit that has struggled as a whole, his veteran presence will be very welcomed. Especially since they are now the favorites to win the NFC South. Judon is only one season removed from a Pro Bowl campaign that saw him log 15.5 sacks and 14 tackles for a loss. Considering all of this, this seems to be a low-risk, high-reward situation for everyone involved.
Other Key Players for the Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons also added two-time Pro Bowl safety, Justin Simmons to bolster their secondary recently. Not to mention, the team has plenty of young talent on the offensive side of the ball. The jury is still out on how Kirk Cousins will bounce back from his Achilles injury, but there is still plenty of reason to be excited for Atlanta fans. This could be the year that running back, Bijan Robinson, breaks out and guys like Drake London and Kyle Pitts are waiting for their potential to be unlocked. All in all, do not sleep on the Atlanta Falcons this year.
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