Falcons Needs: Sign Super Bowl DT Malik Jackson?
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The sports gods decided to work ahead of schedule in cursing the Atlanta Falcons this upcoming season.
As the Falcons carry through the early stages of training camp, the team has already run into major issues on the defensive line. Eddie Goldman's sudden retirement last month was enough of a blow but the team also lost another veteran newcomer, Vincent Taylor, to a ruptured Achilles that will keep him out for the entire year.
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The interior front seven is now headed by the long-tenured Grady Jarrett and retained in-season acquisition Anthony Rush. But the depth, peppered with undrafted free agents and inexperienced veterans, is in desperate need of help.
Before the Falcons kick off their preseason slate against the Detroit Lions next Friday, the free agent market is relatively dry but one notable, experienced name lingers: 10-year NFL veteran Malik Jackson.
Jackson, 32, has had trouble maintaining consistency in his NFL career but it's likely that few, if any, on the current market have proven themselves. His most recent work came last season with the Cleveland Browns, where he started 16 games, but he is likely most renowned for his work in a championship effort with the Denver Broncos during in 2015. Originally drafted in the fifth round by the Broncos in 2012, Jackson had five tackles and recovered a Von Miller-forced fumble in the endzone during the Super Bowl 50 victory over the Carolina Panthers.
A Pro Bowl appearance awaited Jackson at the end of the 2017 season when he had a career-best eight sacks for the Jacksonville Jaguars. That season fell one game short of a return trip to the Super Bowl, a showcase that saw Jackson earned a big sack on the opening drive of their 10-3 Wild Card victory over the Buffalo Bills.
While Jackson has struggled to keep the consistency rolling in his NFL career, his propensity to earn sacks from the interior could be huge for an Atlanta unit that has struggled to get to the quarterback. Last season, the Falcons had a league-low 18 sacks.
"Jackson has excelled at creating disruption in the pocket with his speed and power rushes from a variety of alignments," Heavy.com remarked of where Jackson would best contribute. "Getting to the quarterback has rarely been a problem for a player who has 35 career sacks to his credit, a respectable total for somebody drafted in the fifth round back in 2012."
In addition to his time in Denver, Jacksonville, and Cleveland, Jackson also spent time with the Philadelphia Eagles (2019-20).
