ESPN news: Kirk Cousins finally speaks about the tampering investigation that was spark by him.
Kirk Cousins’ comments following his signing with the Atlanta Falcons sparked the NFL’s investigation into potential tampering, but the quarterback seemed to believe the investigation will turn up very little.
During his press conference earlier this week, Cousins was questioned regarding the progress of the Falcons’ tampering investigation. There is “not a whole lot there,” he asserted.
According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Cousins stated, “The league’s still kind of going through that.” “Okay, I’ll give it to them. However, hardly much is present.
That may be cousins hoping for the best. There is almost any doubt that Atlanta broke the rules regarding tampering before signing Cousins. The 35-year-old acknowledged having direct contact with Falcons organization members prior to league regulations allowing it, so we know this. The “don’t ask, don’t tell” mentality is prevalent throughout the league, despite the fact that it is customary for teams to sign free agents before the window for legal tampering begins.
In addition, Cousins disclosed that he was recruited “weeks” before to the start of free agency by Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts. Player-to-player tampering is usually ignored by the NFL, but Cousins once again encouraged the probe by being so forthright about it.
If the Falcons were not disciplined in some way for their meddling, it would be shocking. They’re not the only squad that’s being looked into, either.
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Examining the little adjustments made to the safety position for the Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons are confident that the correct individuals are present in the facility.
In 2023, the Atlanta Falcons’ safety position was both a top and a bad one. Safety was definitely a strength for the defense when things were going well—90% of Jessie Bates’ games, early encouraging efforts from Richie Grant, DeMarcco Hellams taking a part. When they weren’t, there was an issue—Rare Bates errors, Grant’s difficulties with coverage, Hellams appearing to be a rookie.
In light of this, I was curious to see what a coaching staff that prioritized defensive backs would do with safety in addition to expressing gratitude to their lucky stars that Bates is playing in Atlanta. It’s interesting to note that as we approach mid-May, the team hasn’t made many adjustments to the safety depth chart, which may suggest that they are comfortable with at least their current top three to four alternatives.
Let’s go right into the ways that safety has evolved.
Modifications: Not much
You’re probably more than halfway to a decent safety room when you have Jessie Bates. However, it’s surprising that the Falcons haven’t chosen to make more substantial adjustments to a depth chart that, aside from the legendary Bates, has serious question marks.
But let’s start with him. With 132 combined tackles, a career-high six interceptions, three forced fumbles, 11 pass deflections, three tackles for a loss, and a defensive score, Bates is coming off a season to remember. He successfully changed the course of a few games on his own, and it’s reasonable to say that Bates had one of the best defensive seasons in Falcons history last year. Even at age 27, he makes a compelling case to be this football team’s top defender. With apologies to A.J. Terrell, Bates is the finest reason to be optimistic about this secondary; the Falcons’ signing of him last offseason was the coup of all coups.
It is less certain who Bates’ rivals will be. With the coaching staff praising him, Richie Grant would seem to be the front-runner for the role. His underappreciated pass-rush ability and well noted run support skills make that a reasonable offer. Although Grant has been plagued by unexplainable tackling and angle-taking errors, it was actually his coverage issues from the previous season that caused him to lose the coaching staff’s trust and ultimately give Hellams more playing time. Last year, Grant gave up 543 yards and six touchdowns on 68.4% of the throws thrown his way to be completed, which was equal with Hellams for the lowest percentage in the secondary among starters. This included some really poor stuff downfield. In contrast, no other Falcons defender gave up more than four touchdowns, and Grant’s yards allowed trailed A.J. Terrell by just nine yards for the team lead despite Terrell having 24 more targets during the season. In what is essentially a contract year, Grant needs to improve his coverage dramatically if he is to reclaim the job and earn a long-term starting position in Atlanta.
Particularly as a late selection, Hellams quietly performed quite well as a rookie. Though his completion percentage of 68.4% may not seem impressive, he gave up a comparatively meager 8.8 yards per completion (compared to Grant’s 13.9) because of his consistently strong tackling and better-than-expected coverage skills. When he plays well, Hellams can be a force to be reckoned with against the run. He has the floor of a very valuable third safety and, should he have a successful summer, may displace Grant in the starting lineup. For this reason, I believe the Falcons appear to be satisfied with their safety situation.
Past him are Micah Abernathy, a key member of the special team, and a select group of deep reserves and practice squad prospects, including new addition Dane Cruikshank. We’ll talk about him below, but if the Falcons want further insurance, it’s reasonable to assume they could bring in another seasoned safety.
