Atlanta Falcons found a weapon in undrafted RB Tony Brooks-James
The Atlanta Falcons found themselves a weapon in undrafted free agent Tony Brooks-James, a big play threat from Oregon. How can he factor in?
The Atlanta Falcons need to bounce back in a big way for the 2019 season, and they’re going to need all 53 players to find their way back to the top of the NFC South.
One player hoping to take a little pre-draft disrespect and earn a 53-man roster spot is former Oregon Ducks running back Tony Brooks-James, a big play threat for the Ducks.
Brooks-James got an invitation to Falcons minicamp where he impressed enough in two days of practice to get a 90-man roster contract.
Over the course of his career with the Ducks, he racked up 2,255 yards from scrimmage averaging 7.0 yards per play with 20 touchdowns on just 323 total touches.
He also proved himself a capable return specialist, averaging just under 26 yards per kickoff return over the last two years with a return touchdown in 2017.
Kick return touchdowns are rare in the NFL anymore, but Brooks-James has the type of playmaking ability and breakaway speed to be a factor there, if even just once a year or every other.
The Falcons don’t have a lack of depth at the running back position by any means, but they did lose a significant playmaker at that position when Tevin Coleman bolted for the San Francisco 49ers.
Brooks-James is currently looking up from the bottom of the running back depth chart and one of the players up ahead of him is a similar playmaker from Oregon, Kenjon Barner.
That name should ring plenty of bells for Ducks fans.
Barner has bounced around the league a bit but the NFL is rediscovering ways to use these smaller backs.
Brooks-James is listed at 5-foot-9, 190 pounds and needs to get into space to be really effective. But he’s got juice, running a 4.45 coming off of injury at the Oregon pro day and proving his speed is NFL-caliber.
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Will he make the Falcons this year? It’s going to be tough, unquestionably, but if Brooks-James can make some plays on special teams in the preseason and prove he’s a valuable, versatile threat offensively, he’s going to force his way onto one of the best rosters in the league at a position where they might be looking for someone to step up.