Atlanta Falcons sign former first-round pick

Tampa Bay's division rival has added talent on the defensive side of the ball.

The 2022 NFL free agency period opened nearly a month ago and teams are still making additions into April with the NFL Draft beginning to close in.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have retained multiple key free agents while adding other pieces around unretired star quarterback Tom Brady over the last few weeks. The Buccaneers are looking to take advantage of a weak NFC South for the second straight season after winning the division for the first time since 2007 last year.

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On Monday evening, the Atlanta Falcons signed former Tennessee Titans linebacker Rashaan Evans to a one-year deal. A 2018 first-round selection, Evans spent his first four seasons in the NFL in Tennessee.

Ex-#Titans first-round LB Rashaan Evans is signing a 1-year deal with the #Falcons, per agents @DrewJRosenhaus and @RyanMatha. Back with DC Dean Pees from their time in Tennessee.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 4, 2022

After losing young standout Foyesade Oluokun to the Jacksonville Jaguars in free agency, adding depth at linebacker was imperative for Atlanta. The Falcons have alleviated some of those depth concerns with the addition of Evans. The former Alabama star has made 50 starts in his career, including 32 over 2019-20 in the regular season and four more in the playoffs. 

He only started 11 games in 2021, recording 57 total tackles, three tackles for loss, one forced fumble, two pass deflections, and two interceptions. The Alabama native's best season to this point came in 2019, where he started all 16 games and put up a career-high 111 total tackles, nine tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and a defensive touchdown.

Evans has previous experience with Atlanta's coaching staff. He played for the Titans while current Falcons head coach Arthur Smith and defensive coordinator Dean Pees were members of Mike Vrable's staff. Smith and Pees' previous relationship with Evans could have factored into determining his fit with the franchise.

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While it's not a given that Evans slides into a starting role, he will compete with Mykal Walker and others for a spot on Atlanta's defense.

The Buccaneers have gone 4-0 against the Falcons since the addition of Brady in 2020. Over that time, they've outscored Atlanta by an average of two touchdowns per contest, 38.3 to 24.3. That dominance projects to continue in 2020 with the two teams heading in opposite directions.

Stick with BucsGameday for more coverage on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the offseason.

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