ATLANTA – Daily, week by week, apply by apply final season, Atlanta Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell began to indicate slightly bit extra. What as soon as was potential was turning into manufacturing. What as soon as was hope in a first-round decide was a participant who may be one of the best on the group’s protection.
And now, on a clearly rebuilding 2022 roster, one with many query marks even after the conclusion of the primary couple of waves of free company, there’s one place group throughout the Falcons that stands out as, if not full, a minimum of probably extremely gifted.
That’s at cornerback, the place Terrell emerged as one of the best at his position in the NFL final season and may be one of the best participant the Falcons have. Interval. Atlanta additionally added a extremely credentialed second choice as properly, signing former Professional Bowler Casey Hayward Jr. to play reverse Terrell on the skin.
Whereas the 32-year-old is a half-decade faraway from his back-to-back Professional Bowl seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers, he stays a dependable starter and somebody Terrell can lean on to study from.
“It’s going to mean a lot,” Terrell mentioned. “… I never thought that in his last couple of years that he would be playing with me on the other side and stuff like that. Definitely something, I can’t wait to get in the building with him and talk with him and just have fun going into next season.”
It’s a season that will have bumps alongside the way in which — the Falcons have admitted they’re in transition after buying and selling quarterback Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts final month — however cornerback might present a vibrant spot. It might additional the connection Terrell and Hayward have already got.
The 2 share an agent, David Mulugheta of Athletes First, which was a part of the rationale the 2 had been launched. They’ve remained involved since and have familiarity with one another. Plus, there was considerably of a mutual admiration society between them.
When Terrell was rising up, he used to observe Hayward play nook. Final season, Terrell grew to become one of many gamers Hayward was interested by frequently watching. By osmosis, he ended up understanding a part of Atlanta’s protection and his potential function in it.
“I got to kind of see the kind of defense that they play and it suits me well,” Hayward mentioned. “So I’m excited to get better, play hard, go out there and compete. The goal is always to go and win games, no matter how people view the roster.”
At nook, the roster seems robust. The group re-signed Isaiah Oliver, who was within the midst of a breakout season earlier than tearing his ACL, to probably be the nickel. Darren Hall, now coming into his second season, confirmed promise as a rookie thrown into an surprising spot as somebody needing to play significant snaps as soon as Oliver went down.
So it’s a gaggle that defensive coordinator Dean Pees can work with and one Hayward, in taking a look at Terrell, can genuinely be enthusiastic about. Not since Hayward’s time with the Green Bay Packers, when Tramon Williams and Sam Shields had been the beginning cornerbacks, has Hayward had somebody that gifted lined up on the different cornerback spot. When Hayward was with the Chargers, Jason Verrett was there however usually injured. Final season with the Las Vegas Raiders, his working mates had been good — however not on the degree of Terrell.
“This is probably my first time in my career,” Hayward mentioned, “where on the other side, I’m like, dang, this guy is super talented and can go out there and lock the number ones up and one lot of the top guys in the league.”
And it’s a pairing the Falcons hope may help enhance a protection nonetheless sorting every part else out.
