HUGE DEAL AND GREAT ADDITION: Atlanta Falcons Head Coach Raheem Morris and General Manager Terry Fontenot Announced the Veteran pass Rusher Signing

Raheem Morris, the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, and Terry Fontenot, the general manager, have discussed extensively the necessity of adding a pass rusher this offseason.

Furthermore, Atlanta might be getting closer to completing its defensive line with a new member.

According to the NFL’s visit release report, former Washington Commanders defensive end James Smith-Williams visited the Falcons on Saturday.
The Commanders took the 6-4, 265-pound Smith-Williams in the eighth round of the 2020 draft, but he has performed better than expected, playing in 55 games over four seasons in Washington with 27 starts.

Smith-Williams has accumulated 85 total tackles, 7 sacks, 14 tackles for loss, and 31 quarterback hits thus far in his career. In 2022, he started all 14 games and recorded three sacks, five tackles for loss, and sixteen quarterback hits, making it his most productive year to date.

Smith-Williams participated in 13 games last season, starting seven of them. He recorded 22 tackles, one sack, two tackles for loss, and eight quarterback hits.

The 27-year-old Smith-Williams began his professional career in 2020 by accounting for more than 70% of Washington’s special teams snaps. However, in the previous two years, he has only played 41 snaps in total during the third phase of the game.

At the time of Smith-Williams’ draft selection, Falcons associate general manager Kyle Smith served as the Commanders’ vice president of player personnel, fostering a natural bond between the player and front office executives.

Additionally, Kirk Cousins, the recently signed quarterback for the Falcons, and Ta’Quon Graham, the defensive tackle, are both represented by Priority Sports & Entertainment, which also represents Smith-Williams.

Morris stated that adding a pass rusher is a “definite priority” for Atlanta. Smith-Williams would not prevent the team from adding more, but he would offer a seasoned player at a position where depth is currently lacking.

However, as of right now, Smith-Williams and the Falcons have not reached an agreement.