NFL Trade Rumors: Chargers' Khalil Mack to Falcons?
Less than a week remains until free agency begins, but the NFL trade market is already open for business.
No true blockbuster deals have been made yet, but there's absolutely no shortage of rumors of who could be moved. One player who has popped up in plenty of trade rumors is Los Angeles Chargers defensive end Khalil Mack, a three-time first-team All-Pro.
While several teams would make sense as a landing spot, Bleacher Report believes the Atlanta Falcons are a team to keep an eye on.
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"The Atlanta Falcons make sense as a buyer. They have a ton of salary cap space and were 21st in sacks last season," Bleacher Report writes.
Atlanta indeed struggled to get after the passer last season, totaling just 42 sacks in 17 games. It also doesn't help that Calais Campbell and Bud Dupree, who tied for the team lead with 6.5 sacks apiece, are both scheduled to hit free agency next week. With getting to the quarterback being so important in the modern NFL, the Falcons definitely need some help in that area.
Enter Mack, who may have just turned 33 last month, but proved he can still play at a high level. The former No. 4 overall pick racked up a career-best 17 sacks last season, including six in one game against the Las Vegas Raiders, the team that drafted him a decade ago.
After four seasons with single-digit sacks, Mack proved that he does indeed still have it in 2023.
Mack is under contract for just one more season, and while he does have a very high cap hit, the Falcons can afford it and move on if things don't work out.
The Falcons have the resources to make a move happen, it's just up to general manager Terry Fontenot to pull the trigger.
