Fansided
Fansided

Atlanta Falcons Get A Steal In Andy Levitre

By Erik Lambert

facebooktwitterreddit

Nov 24, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Tennessee Titans guard Andy Levitre (67) at the line of scrimmage during the fourth quarter against the Oakland Raiders at O.co Coliseum. The Titans defeated the Raiders 23-19. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

If ever there was a team that needed to pull off some kind of big move to fix a hole in their roster, it was the Atlanta Falcons.  Their offensive line units as a whole has struggled the entire preseason, allowing seven quarterback sacks, committing seven penalties and managing an abysmal 2.6 yards per carry on the ground.  If this is a team that wants to make the playoffs, then they need to get better up front.

That is exactly what they did by securing the rights to guard Andy Levitre via trade with Tennessee.

Though inconsistent play was part of the reasoning, the main one involved the 28-year old becoming too expensive for the team to keep.  Levitre struggled at the beginning of last season due to a change in offensive scheme but started to catch on late, stringing together a number of solid games to finish strong.

The feeling is he’s at his best in a zone blocking scheme like he did in Buffalo and his first year with the Titans.  That is what Atlanta does as well, so the fit was natural.  What makes the move so beneficial for the Falcons is not only the fact that he’s still young but that his calling card is run blocking.

Levitre has never finished an NFL season in his career with a negative rating in that category according to Pro Football Focus.  Even last year he posted a +1.5 mark.  The Falcons have wanted to get back to running the football more in order to protect Matt Ryan and also help ease the burden on the defense by controlling the clock.

He won’t be a superstar, but Atlanta already has enough of those.  What they need is somebody who can provide stability and a little more physicality in the trenches.  That is what Andy Levitre can do, which is why this trade could go down as one of the biggest steals of the 2015 season.

Next: NFL Team Predictions: The Philadelphia Eagles

More from NFL Mocks

Home/NFL Hot Takes