FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The excitement is evident.
The Atlanta Falcons agreed to terms on a trade that would send a 2025 third-round draft pick to the New England Patriots for pass rusher Matthew Judon, it was announced Thursday. The transaction is pending Judon's physical. But the buzz is already real.
"Anytime you can add a dog, really, to your group and have him be able to come be a part of that, that is exciting," Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said. "I think we have excitement for that. I think he has excitement for that. I think a couple of our players that actually know him personally have excitement for that.
"His reputation precedes himself."
Judon is a fifth-round draft pick turned four-time Pro Bowler. The Baltimore Ravens selected Judon in 2016 out of Grant Valley State University. And he has thrived ever since. His first Pro Bowl season came in 2019 when he was still with the Ravens. He started all 16 games for the first time in his career and totaled what was then a personal-best 9.5 sacks. That was in addition to four forced fumbles, 33 quarterback hits and 54 combined tackles.
That 2019 season was the first of four-straight Pro Bowl years for Judon. It was in 2022 with the Patriots, however, Judon put together his best performance so far with 15.5 sacks, 28 quarterback hits and 60 combined tackles. He also had a fumble recovery, two forced fumbles and three pass breakups that year.
"The Pro Bowl thing is impressive," Morris said. "But actually going out there and playing against this dog when he was in Baltimore, when we were here in 2016; I remember (wide receiver) Mohamed Sanu having to sift him and said, 'Man, I'm not doing that.' And he said, 'Let's spread this thing out, man. Let the big people block the big people, man.' Having that type of recall from that type of a player – what he does and what he can bring to the table – is always fun."
Judon has played against the Falcons twice – in 2018 with the Ravens and in 2021 with the Patriots. He was a part of the winning team each time, and he was responsible for one sack against former quarterback Matt Ryan in 2021.
With 66.5 career sacks to his name, including two double-digit-sack seasons in the last three years, the Falcons hope Judon can provide the kind of pressure off the edge fans have been clamoring for. It's the type of move Morris has direct experience with, and he understands the type of impact it can have on a team.
"You get a guy with the ability to come in here and be a game wrecker for you right now, you figure out those things," Morris said. "I have one real key factor. We did that out in L.A. with Von (Miller). Got him middle season doing a trade, he was able to come in (and) turn into a game wrecker. I got a chance to see playoff Von. Got a ring because of it. Got a lot of success."
The Denver Broncos traded Miller, a linebacker, to the Los Angeles Rams on Nov. 1, 2021 for second- and third-round picks in the 2022 NFL Draft. Miller proceeded to start the remaining eight games for the Rams, making 31 tackles, five sacks and eight tackles for loss. Los Angeles then made the playoffs and ultimately won Super Bowl LVI. In the postseason alone, Miller had 14 tackles, four sacks, six tackles for loss.
Morris wouldn't say whether the Falcons see the 32-year-old Judon as a long-term solution.
"You never know what these things can turn into," Morris said. "But I know what we're getting in that trade: the dog mentality. The guy that we talked about (is) the absolute edge setter, the universal pass rusher, a proven outside commodity within this league for the last couple of years."
What Falcons players said of Judon after Thursday's practice:
Safety Jessie Bates III: "We'll take him all day. You don't find guys like that that just pop up and you're able to acquire somebody like that before the season. He's somebody that's played at a high level in this league for a very long time. We have the same management group as well, so I'm kind of familiar with him, with the person that he is as well. And I feel like Terry and the guys up stairs have done a really good job of bringing in really good football players but really good people as well. I feel like that's what we want to be about. That's what an Atlanta Falcons is: A great player that's consistent, you can rely on him, but also a great person and a great teammate as well. So, happy to have him, for sure."
Quarterback Michael Penix Jr.: "That's big time. I go against the 1s in practice, and he'll be out there whenever I'm up, so it's going to be a lot of great looks. The guys that we have now, they've been giving me great looks as well. But to add him to the team is definitely special."
Wide receiver Drake London: "Very exciting. Anything to help this team win, I'm all for it. He's on the defensive side, so I'll let them handle that. But I'm very excited for him to come over here and make an impact."
