After having one of the worst pass rushes in the league the past two seasons, the Atlanta Falcons could cut Nose Tackle David Onyemata before the regular season. According to a report, the Falcons could part ways with the nine-year veteran after two seasons since he’s coming off one of his worst campaigns. Originally selected in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft, the former Manitoba product left the New Orleans Saints to join their rival after having some substance issues. Onyemata hasn’t been the same trenches guy and after losing Bud Dupree and Calais Campbell in the past two years as well, it didn’t help the nose tackle’s chances of making an impact on the field.
It’s interesting that PFF’s Jonathon Macri names him as the Falcons’ most “underrated player” even though Onyemata has been in several rumors that he will depart from Atlanta. Since they’ve already made the move to release Grady Jarrett, it only makes sense for the Falcons to move on from Onyemata if they want to embrace the rebuild. The new defensive staff have shown their desire to get younger and that spells bad news for a veteran like Onyemata, so it’ll be interesting to see what the Falcons do here.
Usually, they can keep him for the 2025 campaign and trade him for some draft picks if they endure a losing season under quarterback Michael Penix. However, it’s like the Falcons will release Onyemata and these four teams may pursue him.
Report: Falcons Urged to Cut Former Saint Legend David Onyemata; 4 Possible Suitors
Possible Destinations
Baltimore Ravens
Following Michael Pierce’s retirement, the Baltimore Ravens need another reliable trenches guy to complement Nnamdi Madubuike this upcoming season. Despite signing John Jenkins, he’s a journeyman and won’t do much given his age. The same can be said about Travis Jones and Broderick Washington, even though they’re younger and have a lot to prove. Onyemata is aging, too, but he’s a safe veteran to invest in.
New Orleans Saints
Meanwhile, the New Orleans Saints will highly depend on a strong and physical defense since they don’t have the toolkit offensively to be successful during each game this upcoming season. Between Tyler Shough and Spencer Rattler, the Saints are better off pairing Davon Godchaux and Onyemata. He won’t make more than ten sacks, but he could make some type of impact to keep giving Shough or Rattler more opportunities on the field.
Washington Commanders
Even though the Washington Commanders are not looking to add any more defensive linemen to their unit, the team can’t afford to ignore upgrading. They can win offensively, but if the defense can’t pull it together, then many should expect games to go to shootouts. Despite signing Javon Kinlaw, he was one of the worst free-agent investments this offseason. It didn’t help losing Dante Fowler Jr., but someone like Onyemata could alleviate pressure and get after the quarterback on a rotational basis.
Los Angeles Chargers
Head Coach Jim Harbaugh wants to win football games in the trenches, but it doesn’t look like he truly wants to do that. Da’Shawn Hand and Teair Tart won’t single-handedly carry this unit by themselves, but Onyemata could be an emergency depth fill. He doesn’t need to make an immediate impact but keep this defense back to their old self after losing Poona Ford.
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