Atlanta continues to retool on both sides of the ball.
The Falcons intend to sign free-agent defensive end Calais Campbell on a one-year deal, ¹ú²úÍâÁ÷ÍøNetwork Insider Ian Rapoport reported on Wednesday.
Campbell, a six-time Pro Bowler and 2017 All-Pro, remains an imposing presence along the defensive line who can still help a team entering his age-37 season.
The defensive lineman's first year in Atlanta will be his 16th in the NFL, with 99 career sacks, 16 forced fumbles, 809 tackles and 165 tackles for loss spread across 227 games for the Cardinals, Jaguars and most recently a three-year stint with the Ravens, who released him on March 13.
Beyond the stats, the addition of the 2019 Walter Payton Man of the Year also brings a sturdy, veteran presence to the locker room for a young defense mired in bottom-10 play and welcoming a new coordinator in Ryan Nielsen.
During the Falcons' current five-year stretch with a losing record, the unit has finished 24th in the league in points allowed and 26th in yards surrendered on average.
Campbell, along with other savvy adds like safety Jessie Bates and fellow defensive lineman David Onyemata, could have a transformative effect that helps Atlanta's new-look D match the imposing will its relentless ground-and-pound offense tends to inflict.
Should all the new acquisitions pan out, the free-spending Falcons are well positioned in an NFC South that's wide open after a year in which its first- and fourth-place teams were separated by a single game.
It remains to be seen if Campbell can help his new squad back to the top of that heap, but he's certain to bring down some quarterbacks along the way.
