Why Za’Darius Smith Was the Perfect Fit for What the Falcons Needed

FLOWERY BRANCH – The Atlanta Falcons are counting on veteran experience in a depleted edge room. After losing James Pearce Jr. to a suspension and Jalon Walker to a torn ACL, they had some serious holes to fill.

In comes Za’Darius Smith, joining a unique mix of redemption stories. He, alongside Samson Ebukam, Jared Ivey, Yasir Abudullah, and Cameron Thomas, will look to reset their careers with the Falcons. This island of misfit toys will be tasked with replicating a record-setting unit with just about a quarter of that production returning.

But the front office is confident this unit can hold up for the first half of the season while it awaits Pearce's return, with Smith potentially serving as an anchor.

Smith retired last season to be closer to family in Alabama after his mother was given a short time to live. She passed away later that month and was soon followed by both Smith’s father and grandmother.

“I was in a dark place,” Smith said, but Atlanta represents a fresh start where he can remain close to family. Now he’s back with a team that connects his love of family and the game of football.

He is less than three hours away from home, and his family can watch him play for a team that desperately needs the production, but Smith is also uniquely connected to the Falcons’ staff.

He was with assistant general manager Jeff Scott in Philadelphia last season, played under Kevin Stefanski in Cleveland for two years, and Ian Cunningham was on the staff that drafted him in Baltimore. To say they have a good understanding of who he is can be a bit of an understatement, and the Falcons saw it as an opportunity too good to pass up.

“I think it’s just human nature: when you know somebody, you tend to gravitate towards them versus the known versus the unknown,” Cunningham said about the addition of Smith. “Then it helps when there's a need. It helps when there are other factors there. But I'd like to believe that relationships do matter.”

Smith was a late addition to the team, and Stefanski was intentional in how he eased the defender back into practices. While the team will count on him for his on-field contributions, that adjustment period put his off-field attributes and veteran presence on display.

“He's been bringing energy even as he kind of warms up and progresses to get ready to go,” Scott said. “That's what we can ask for: him to be a veteran leader, do what he's done, and just to continue to build on where he's going. So, we were excited to be able to get a player like that at that time.”

On the field, Smith’s 70.5 career sacks and 2020 All-Pro second-team selection make him the most accomplished player in the Falcons’ front seven. He turns 34 on Sept. 8, but he still believes there is plenty left in the tank, and his goal is to reach 100 sacks.

He is 33 sacks away from that total, and the Falcons will be counting on him to get more than a few of those between now and November.

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