The Falcons needed help on the edge, and they moved quickly.
With Jalon Walker lost for the season after tearing his ACL in training camp, Atlanta has been forced to rethink a spot that was supposed to be one of its strengths entering Walker’s second year. The team went shopping in free agency and, according to Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports, landed former Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Cameron Sample.
“The Falcons are signing defensive end Cameron Sample, a source tells CBS Sports. Former fourth-round draft pick who played for the Bengals the last five seasons. Has 85 career tackles and 25 career quarterback hits,” Zenitz wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Sample is not being brought in to carry the load. Atlanta is looking for depth, and if he gets a chance on the field, the hope is that he can give them something useful.
The situation on the defensive line is still unsettled. James Pearce Jr. is expected to face a suspension for his charges from February, though the length remains unclear. Josh Kendall of The Athletic has projected it could be around eight games.
That leaves the Falcons with more moving parts than they wanted at this stage of the preseason, and it would not be a shock if they keep adding bodies as the roster-cut period rolls on around the league.
Atlanta is trying to follow up last season’s finish with the second most sacks in the NFL. The front has been reinforced across the board, and there’s still a path for that group to produce again. But with Walker sidelined and Pearce potentially out for roughly half the year, the margin for error just got a lot thinner.
In Other News...
Falcons Suddenly Face A James Pearce Jr. Problem They Feared
James Pearce Jr. has spent most of camp working with the Falcons third team, a reminder that his role has already been in flux before the real questions around his status arrive. The first-round pick played in all 17 games last season, but Atlanta has been bracing for a much different kind of update as roster cutdowns approach, one that could force the team to rethink how it plans to open the year.
The uncertainty around Pearce now centers on discipline that has been hanging over camp, with the Falcons preparing for a suspension announcement before the roster deadline. For a team that drafted him to be part of its future up front, the timing could not be much worse, and the length of the absence would leave Atlanta sorting through a depth chart issue it hoped to avoid. [Read more 🡒]
Michael Penix Jr. Is Already Forcing A Tough Falcons Decision
Michael Penix Jr. is already at the center of one of the Falcons biggest offseason questions, and it has less to do with upside than availability. Atlanta is sorting through its quarterback options under a new coaching staff, while fans remain split on what Penix can become and how quickly he can be trusted to lead the offense. The comparisons to other first-round quarterbacks from the 2024 draft only sharpen the scrutiny, because the Falcons are not just weighing talent here - they are weighing timelines.
The health piece makes the decision even murkier, and it helps explain why the organization has been forced to keep its options open. Penixs performance has given Atlanta enough reason to believe in the long view, but the uncertainty around his readiness has created a real test for the teams planning and patience. For a franchise trying to settle its future under a fresh regime, the quarterback conversation is already becoming a referendum on how much risk it can afford to take. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Needed This Divine Deablo Injury Update More Than Ever
The Falcons had a scare at practice when linebacker Divine Deablo went down after an apparent ankle injury and had to stop scrimmaging. It was the kind of moment that can tighten a training camp sideline fast, especially for a defense that needs to keep building chemistry and getting a feel for how its new pieces fit together.
Kevin Stefanski later said Deablo was rolled up on, and the early concern eased once imaging and testing were done. Hell miss the next practice as a precaution, but the expectation is that this is not a long-term issue, which is about as good a result as Atlanta could have hoped for after the initial injury. [Read more 🡒]