With Deone Bucannon and others, the Atlanta Falcons resemble the old Oakland Raiders (sort of)
They got another one.
Deone Bucannon.
Just like that, after the Atlanta Falcons signed the aforementioned free-agent linebacker/safety Thursday, they had a roster with 17 first-round draft picks.
Whatever that means.
At one extreme when it comes to those first-round folks, the Falcons have the likes of quarterback Matt Ryan, wide receiver Julio Jones and center Alex Mack, with multiple trips to the Pro Bowl on their resumes and the possibility of receiving even more accolades at their positions.
Then there is everybody else.
Those other first-rounders for the Falcons range from underachievers Charles Harris and Laquon Treadwell to another multiple Pro Bowl guy in Todd Gurley who nevertheless is injury prone to Dante Fowler with one impressive NFL season out of four to question marks involving most of the others.
Bucannon is among those question marks.
In 2014, the Arizona Cardinals made Bucannon the 27th pick of that draft after his All-America career at Washington State, and he began his NFL career as a strong safety before Cardinals coaches turned him into an undersized linebacker in the league at 6-foot-1 and 211-something pounds.
The position switch didn't matter.
Bucannon's Arizona career remained average at best, and then he signed with the Tampa Buccaneers before last season along the way to more mediocrity. The Bucs released him in October, and then the New York Giants grabbed him.
Now Bucannon is with the Falcons as depth . . . or maybe he'll evolve into something better.
That's the operative word here for the Falcons regarding their collection of former first-rounders: Maybe.
Maybe the majority of them will live up to their first-round status with a change of scenery, or maybe they won't.
After consecutive 7-9 finishes, the Falcons can't survive on maybes.
