ATLANTA – The evolution of Damontae Kazee in the Falcons' defense was certainly a bright spot in a season where Atlanta finished with a 7-9 record, its worst record since Dan Quinn's arrival.
After Ricardo Allen tore his Achilles in the Week 3 loss to the New Orleans Saints, Kazee stepped in at free safety and thrived in that role in the middle of the field, making plays for the Falcons.
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Kazee ended up leading the league with seven interceptions and he accounted for almost half of the Falcons' takeaways. Atlanta finished with 19 total takeaways on the year.
Kazee was drafted as a cornerback out of San Diego State and his versatility in the secondary is what makes him unique. His 17 interceptions set a school record and he was twice named the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year.
The Falcons have an opening at nickel cornerback with Brian Poole reportedly set to hit the market when the new league year begins on March 13 and Kazee could certainly fill that role.
"That's definitely a position we worked him at prior to Ricardo Allen getting hurt and we'll do that again," Falcons coach Dan Quinn said.
