After trading for Matthew Judon last season, Atlanta was looking to make a splash when it came to disrupting opposing quarterbacks.
Judon never hit his stride in Atlanta as a disruptor, but the defense as a whole, for quite some time, didn't deliver either, especially early on last season. Atlanta would give up a third-round pick to the New England Patriots for Judon, but his play was lackluster. But so was the rest of the defense.
Matthew Judon rushes the passer against the New York Giants last season in Atlanta. Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Matthew Judon rushes the passer against the New York Giants last season in Atlanta. Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Atlanta would finish 31st last year with only 31 sacks on the season. Judon would have a short response when asked about the additions of Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. and whether it would impact his decision to stay with the team, and he would say, "Yeah, probably."
When asked about whether the lack of production was due to bad luck, Judon would say, "Hell naw, it wasn't bad luck. If you look at the film, I dropped into coverage on 60% of the plays. It's hard to get a sack and an interception on the same play."
Last season, before signing with Atlanta, the Chicago Bears had interest in bringing in Judon, but Atlanta was able to sway him away from the Windy City. Judon is over 30 years old, but Chicago could be willing to add depth to their pass rush with a player like Judon.
Judon still can get to the quarterback, and the dismal season in Atlanta last year could prove to be a fluke season. After all, Atlanta needs to free up as much cap space as necessary.