The Atlanta Falcons are among the more difficult teams to forecast for the upcoming 2021-2022 NFL season. Still, potential additions such as Bradley Roby and Justin Jackson ahead of training camp could bolster their current slim playoff chances.
The Falcons came into the offseason with plenty of areas that needed to be addressed. And for the most part, the Falcons front office shored up multiple depth issues over the draft and free agency, which included selecting coveted tight end Kyle Pitts with the fourth overall pick in the draft and signing former Las Vegas Raiders free safety Erik Harris.
On paper, the Falcons would need multiple players on both sides of the ball to have career years in order to emerge as a dark horse playoff contender this season. Thus, they may not be done just yet in revamping their roster ahead of the upcoming season.
Falcons' Possible Trade Candidates:
Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot should look into acquiring these three players in order to help give the team a fighting chance in what may end up being a daunting NFC wild-card race.
Bradley Roby
It was only a couple of years ago that the Atlanta Falcons had one of the more promising secondary units in the NFL. From Keanu Neal to Ricardo Allen, the Falcons sure were poised to have the next well-rounded secondary group in the NFC South.
However, the Falcons ended up parting ways with the likes of Neal and Allen due to injury issues and underperformances.
The Falcons are now in the midst of rejuvenating their secondary unit, which includes building around 2020 first-round pick A.J. Terrell and 2018 second-round pick Isaiah Oliver.
Still, the Falcons could use a veteran voice for their young secondary group, and they would find such a player in Houston Texans standout cornerback Bradley Roby.
The 29-year-old has not been in the rumor mill as much over the past couple of months, but one could suggest that a trade is not of the question considering the Texans' current status as a rebuilding team.
In 10 games played last season, Roby showed his prowess as a potent cornerback; he allowed a notable 89.8 passer rating while being the primary defender.
There are several red flags with this potential deal, including the fact that he missed time last season after violating the NFL's performance-enhancing drug policy.
Nonetheless, if the Texans are open to parting ways with Roby for a mid to low-level draft pick, the Falcons should certainly take full advantage of such an opportunity.
Justin Jackson
For the moment, the Atlanta Falcons are slated to start former Carolina Panthers talent Mike Davis at running back this season. Davis is coming off his best season to date, as he totaled for 1,015 yards from scrimmage and eight touchdowns during his one-season run with the Panthers.
Davis is certainly a quality down-for-down back, which was shown by his 4.5 yards per touch average last season. But if the Falcons want to open up the offense for new head coach Arthur Smith, they would need to add a versatile running back to share the touches with Davis.
If the Falcons front office plans to look for a low-risk, high-reward option for this matter, then Los Angeles Chargers running back Justin Jackson would be an ideal fit for the team.
Jackson is slated to back up starting running back Austin Ekeler this season, although second-year talent Joshua Kelley could win this role in the coming month. The Chargers are high on Kelley following his strong finish last season, which included totaling for 225 yards for scrimmage over the final three games of the campaign.
Thus, Jackson could soon be available via trade, and the Falcons should pounce on such a possible deal.
Jackson's vertical quickness coupled with his promise as a receiver out of the backfield could form an imposing one-two punch alongside Davis.
Steven Sims
As with Justin Jackson, the Atlanta Falcons may be better off taking chances on project players rather than going all out to acquire high-priced veterans via the trade market. Thus, as the Falcons are in need of another rotational receiver, the team should look to the likes of Washington Football Team wideout Steven Sims to bolster their receiving corps.
Sims has had an up-and-down run with the Football Team so far. From the promising performance against the Carolina Panthers last season to the recent toe injury that sidelined him for multiple games, Sims is yet to produce a complete season in Washington.
A change of scenery may be best for him at this stage in his early career, such as a possible move to feature under Matt Ryan in Atlanta this upcoming season.
With the loss of Julio Jones, the Falcons will surely be looking to involve the likes of wideout Christian Blake more in the team's passing attack. But when the Falcons opt to go with 01 personnel, a talent like Sims could be a potent option as their fourth receiver on the field.
The Falcons will surely be a team to watch this upcoming season, regardless of whether they plan to make a notable trade in the coming month.
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