The Atlanta Falcons quenched their thirst for pass rush help along the edge of their defense by trading for four-time Pro Bowler Matt Judon, but they almost didn't get him.
Atlanta had a clear need ranking 25th in the NFL in quarterback pressure rate (32.7%) and tied for 21st in sacks (42.0) in 2023, but another NFC team also swiped away at the last moment. Both the Falcons and the Chicago Bears, according to The MMQB, offered a third-round pick for Judon, and given their proposals were essentially equivalent, the New England Patriots were cool with letting the veteran choose his next NFL home.
The Falcons made the trade without a new contract in place for Judon, which is something Bears general manager Ryan Poles was not willing to do, as revealed on HBO's most recent episode of "Hard Knocks."
"Our language is basically saying if the contract is not signed then he reverts back to New England," Poles told his special advisor, Ted Crews, via NFL.com.
"I don't want to get the club in a position where we have a player that's here, we've given up a draft pick, and we haven't had a resolution on a contract."
It's smart business, as the New York Jets are currently caught up in a situation where they traded a future draft pick for a pass rusher looking for a new contract, and he hasn't been in the building because he still hasn't received his new deal. Still, it hurt Poles to miss out on adding a veteran presence on the edge.
"If he has 20 sacks or something, yeah it'll make me sick," Poles told director of football administration Matt Feinstein.
Judon obviously chose the Falcons because they are in an NFC South division that seems to be very much up for grabs year-to-year while Chicago has some stiff competition in the NFC North with two of their division foes, the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers, both winning at least one playoff game last season. Atlanta walked away with their prize this time after failing to do so, per ESPN, in the Montez Sweat trade sweepstakes, losing him to the Bears, and in their bid to trade up for UCLA edge rusher Laiatu Latu in the 2024 NFL Draft with the Indianapolis Colts opting to stick and pick him at pick 15.
Judon will be a welcome addition for a squad whose most notable front-seven acquisition this offseason was selecting Clemson defensive lineman Ruke Orhorhoro in the second round (35th overall) of the 2024 NFL Draft. The Falcons' third-round pick from the same class, Washington rookie edge rusher Bralen Trice, was placed on injured reserve after tearing his ACL in the team's preseason opener.
Judon's 28.0 sacks from 2021 through 2022 are tied for the third-most in the NFL with Steelers All-Pro T.J. Watt, trailing only 49ers All-Pro Nick Bosa (34.0) and Browns 2023 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett (32.0) in that span. Judon suffered a torn lower bicep injury in Week 4 of the 2023 season that knocked him out for the rest of the year. His 2022 sack total (15.5) and 2021 sack total (12.5) stand as the third and fourth-most in a single season in Patriots history since sacks began being tracked as an official individual statistic in 1982. The quarterback pressure rate of 15.7% he posted across the last three seasons (since 2021) is the seventh-best in the entire league and is actually ahead of Watt's 15.1% in this span.
Atlanta certainly is banking on both Judon and free agency signee quarterback Kirk Cousins to bounce back from season-ending injuries in their 30's. If both do so nicely, the Falcons could very well win the NFC South and return to the postseason for the first time since 2016.
