The Falcons have made more important additions on the defensive side in the last week than they have in the entire offseason. Justin Simmons and Matthew Judon fill arguably the team’s two biggest gaps, and that’s less than a month before the start of the season.

It’s been a whirlwind for Falcons fans who have grown accustomed to being the whipping boy. The coveted veterans never come to Atlanta. They go to Philadelphia, Baltimore and Los Angeles. In one weekend, the Falcons signed the best pass rusher since John Abraham and an All-Pro safety.

The only problem I had with it was that it seemed like it took DeMarrco Hellams and Bralen Trice to force the Falcons to make those trades. A seventh-round pick and a third-round rookie out with serious injuries caused the Falcons to trade a four-time Pro Bowler and a four-time All-Pro?

This is crazy. These acquisitions should have been “in addition to” what the Falcons had in the closet, not “instead of” what was already in Atlanta. Well, it appears that was the case.

After practice on Monday, Terry Fontenot spoke with Kay Adams and clarified that the Falcons had discussed signing Simmons and Judon much earlier in the offseason.

#Falcons GM Terry Fontenot says the team discussed adding both Justin Simmons and Matthew Judon much earlier in the offseason 👀🔊

“As soon as we saw that (Judon) might be available, we contacted the Patriots.”

exclamation @ChopsLobsterBar for the lucky charm 🍀… pic.twitter.com/opSGdapELs

— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) 19 August 2024

I’m going to reluctantly and against my better judgment give the Falcons the benefit of the doubt and believe them when they say they’ve always been looking for players like that. PerhapsWas it just a coincidence that Hellams and Trice were out and the Falcons added Judon and Simmons within a week? Or Perhaps, the injuries only accelerated the process.

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Photographer: Ken Murray/Icon Sportswire