2020 Atlanta Falcon Season Preview: Allen Bailey

Allen Bailey is now entering his 10th year in the league, what do you expect from the DE at this point in his career?

 ‌The‌ ‌Atlanta‌ ‌Falcons‌ ‌hope‌ ‌they‌ ‌have‌ ‌built‌ ‌up‌ ‌solid‌ ‌depth‌ ‌on‌ ‌their‌ ‌defensive‌ ‌line‌ ‌this‌ ‌upcoming season. General‌ ‌Manager‌ ‌Thomas‌ ‌Dimitroff‌ ‌has‌ ‌added‌ ‌to‌ ‌a‌ ‌unit‌ ‌that‌ ‌struggled‌ ‌at‌ ‌times‌ ‌last‌ ‌year.‌ 

One‌ ‌player that‌ ‌was‌ ‌brought‌ ‌back‌ ‌from‌ ‌last‌ ‌year's‌ ‌rotation,‌ ‌Allen‌ ‌Bailey,‌ ‌hopes‌ ‌to‌ ‌provide‌ ‌a‌ ‌similar‌ ‌impact‌ ‌on‌ ‌the‌ ‌one‌ ‌he‌ ‌did‌ ‌last‌ ‌season.‌ ‌ ‌

Now‌ ‌in‌ ‌his‌ ‌ninth‌ ‌year‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌league,‌ ‌Bailey‌ ‌signed‌ ‌a‌ ‌two-year‌ ‌deal‌ ‌last‌ ‌offseason‌ ‌after‌ ‌spending‌ ‌ the‌ ‌first‌ ‌eight‌ ‌of‌ ‌his‌ ‌career‌ ‌in‌ ‌Kansas‌ ‌City.‌ ‌He‌ ‌performed‌ ‌well‌ ‌enough‌ ‌to‌ ‌receive‌ ‌a‌ ‌contract‌ ‌ extension‌ during the offseason‌ ‌that‌ ‌will‌ ‌keep‌ ‌him‌ ‌locked‌ ‌up‌ ‌with‌ ‌the‌ ‌team‌ ‌through‌ ‌the‌ ‌2021‌ ‌season.‌ ‌ ‌

 ‌2019‌ ‌Recap‌ ‌ ‌

 ‌Bailey‌ ‌played‌ ‌in‌ ‌15‌ ‌games‌ ‌last‌ ‌season‌ ‌and‌ ‌started‌ ‌in‌ ‌five‌ ‌at‌ ‌the‌ ‌defensive‌ ‌end‌ ‌position.‌ ‌In‌ ‌his‌ time on the field, ‌ ‌he‌ ‌was‌ ‌able‌ ‌to‌ ‌record‌ ‌26‌ ‌tackles,‌ ‌four‌ ‌tackles‌ ‌for‌ ‌loss,‌ ‌two‌ ‌quarterback‌ ‌hits‌ ‌and‌ ‌one‌ sack.‌ ‌ ‌

 ‌Coming‌ ‌into‌ ‌last‌ ‌season,‌ ‌Bailey‌ ‌averaged‌ ‌about‌ ‌two‌ ‌and‌ ‌a‌ ‌half‌ ‌sacks‌ ‌per‌ ‌season‌ ‌while‌ ‌in‌ ‌ Kansas‌ ‌City. So, ‌ ‌while‌ ‌his‌ ‌one‌ sack ‌last‌ ‌season‌ ‌was‌ ‌below‌ ‌his‌ ‌career‌ ‌average,‌ ‌it‌ ‌wasn’t‌ ‌far‌ ‌off.‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

2020‌ ‌Outlook‌ ‌

Looking‌ ‌ahead‌ ‌to‌ ‌this‌ ‌season,‌ ‌Bailey‌ ‌will‌ ‌likely‌ ‌be‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌same‌ ‌position‌ ‌he‌ ‌was‌ ‌last‌ ‌year,‌ ‌primarily‌ ‌playing‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌rotation,‌ ‌but‌ ‌he‌ ‌could‌ ‌start‌ ‌if‌ ‌needed.‌ ‌ ‌

Based‌ ‌on‌ ‌his‌ ‌career‌ ‌trajectory,‌ ‌after‌ ‌a‌ ‌low‌ ‌sack‌ ‌season,‌ ‌Bailey‌ ‌will‌ ‌bounce‌ ‌back‌ ‌with‌ ‌higher‌ ‌totals‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌next‌ ‌year,‌ ‌so‌ ‌it‌ ‌wouldn’t‌ ‌be‌ ‌crazy‌ ‌to‌ ‌see‌ ‌him‌ ‌get‌ ‌four‌ ‌to‌ ‌five‌ ‌sacks‌ ‌this‌ ‌season.‌ ‌With‌ ‌

Dante‌ ‌Fowler‌ ‌Jr.‌ ‌on‌ ‌the‌ ‌opposite‌ ‌side‌ ‌‌ ‌should‌ ‌help‌ ‌the‌ ‌defensive‌ ‌line‌ ‌as‌ ‌well.‌ ‌ ‌

One‌ ‌area‌ ‌that‌ ‌Bailey‌ ‌will‌ ‌be‌ ‌helpful‌ ‌with‌ ‌is‌ ‌the‌ ‌development‌ ‌of‌ ‌Marlon‌ ‌Davidson. ‌After‌ ‌playing‌ ‌ nine‌ ‌years‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌league‌ ‌he‌ ‌has‌ ‌learned‌ ‌a‌ ‌thing‌ ‌or‌ ‌two‌ ‌that‌ ‌can‌ ‌be‌ ‌helpful‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌rookie’s‌ development.‌ ‌ ‌

Dimitroff‌ ‌drafted‌ ‌Davidson‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌second‌ ‌round‌ ‌and‌ ‌signed‌ ‌Fowler‌ ‌Jr.‌ ‌in‌ ‌free‌ ‌agency‌ ‌in‌ ‌hopes‌ ‌that‌ ‌those‌ ‌two‌ ‌bolster‌ ‌the‌ ‌Falcons‌ ‌defensive‌ ‌front,‌ ‌but‌ ‌more‌ ‌importantly,‌ ‌make‌ ‌an‌ ‌impact‌ ‌rushing‌ ‌the‌ ‌passer.‌ ‌ ‌

Tyeler‌ ‌Davidson,‌ ‌Grady‌ ‌Jarrett,‌ ‌Jack‌ ‌Crawford‌ ‌and‌ ‌Takkarist‌ ‌Mckinley‌ ‌all‌ ‌return‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌Falcons‌ ‌defense‌ ‌along‌ ‌with‌ ‌Bailey.‌ ‌ ‌

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