3 potential trade destinations for Jacksonville Jaguars OLB Josh Allen

2. Trade partner for Jacksonville Jaguars OLB Josh Allen: Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons’ top priority this offseason will be to sort out the quarterback position. They signed Marcus Mariota last year but he was eventually benched in favor of then-rookie Desmond Ridder, who didn’t show enough yet to make you think he can be a solid starter in the NFL.

Having said that, quarterback isn’t the only position the Falcons must address this position. They also need to bolster a pass rush that registered only 21 sacks, the second-lowest amount in the league, last year.

Defensive tackle Grady Jarrett led the Falcons with five sacks last season but they’ll need significantly more firepower if they want to consistently bring the heat up front. Outside linebacker Lorenzo Carter, who was second on the team with four sacks, is scheduled to become a free agent but even if he returns, Atlanta could use another pass rusher. That’s where Josh Allen comes in.

The one thing that could stop the Falcons from inquiring about Allen is that they’ll tentatively shift to a 4-3 system under new defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen. Allen has mostly rushed the quarterback from a standup position and he would probably need to line up with his hand on the ground if he landed in Atlanta. Then again, he played in a three-point stance in his rookie campaign, so he might not have trouble adjusting to Nielsen’s scheme.

One thing that makes the Falcons an appealing trade destination for Allen is that they’ll have $55 million in cap space this offseason and could offer him a top-market contract if that’s what he wants.