Falcons Acquire Defensive Line Depth with Signing Off NFC Practice Squad

The Atlanta Falcons have made a move this week to bolster the depth along their defensive line after back-to-back performances on the defensive side of the ball which were a little bit concerning.

Reports first surfaced on Tuesday afternoon that Atlanta was acquiring edge rusher Charles Snowden off the Washington Commanders practice squad following a three-year stint with the Las Vegas Raiders. While he has yet to appear in a game this season, he played in 31 over the last two seasons including 18 starts, racking up 67 combined tackles with 35 of them solo as well as 8 tackles for loss and 11 quarterback hits.

Edge was seen as one of the biggest concerns on the team headed into the year, and while there have been flashes over the first six games of the season, clearly the Falcons felt what they were putting out was not strong enough and a move was needed.

After losing Jalon Walker in training camp to a torn ACL as well as James Pearce Jr. for half the season due to suspension, Atlanta cannot get enough edge help, and they are hopeful Snowden is going to be able to come in and give them some decent snaps in the rotation for this defense.

Last year was a career campaign for Snowden with three sacks on the whole, and the former undrafted free agent has shown an upward trajectory throughout his career in the NFL. Given what the Falcons are dealing with at the position right now, it seems there is a strong chance he will be able to stick around for the year and find a way to contribute in a meaningful way.

Snowden played his college ball at the University of Virginia and has been in the league since the 2021 season, largely working on various practice squads before he got his shot with the Raiders. He is going to have a lot of work to do in order to actually earn real snaps for Atlanta, but they brought him in clearly because they feel he is capable of doing just that.

An addition to the 53-man roster, Snowden will join the team this week and potentially make his Falcons debut this weekend against the San Francisco 49ers. He's a name worth keeping an eye on the rest of the season to see if he can make any kind of legitimate contribution to this defense.