'The Old Guy': Lorenzo Carter Off to Fast Start with Falcons

Carter signed with the Falcons this offseason after four seasons with the Giants.

Jeremy Brener | Aug 3, 2022

The Atlanta Falcons knew they needed to address the pass rush this past offseason.

A league-low 18 sacks is a big reason why the team finished 7-10 and outside the playoffs for a fourth consecutive season.

While the Falcons are in a rebuild and counting on the youth to bring the team back to relevancy, there's a necessity for experience and leadership from veterans.

And that's exactly why the team signed Georgia native and fifth-year pro Lorenzo Carter this offseason.

"Zo's the old guy in that room and he's not that old," head coach Arthur Smith said. Him and Ade (Ogundeji), those guys are working. I think Zo can bring a lot as that outside linebacker and a rusher. He's got a lot of length. I really like his work habits. Been really pleased with Zo so far."

Carter was drafted in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the New York Giants. Last season, Carter recorded career-highs with 50 tackles, five sacks and his first career interception.

Carter is only 26, but that makes him the oldest player in the outside linebackers room. Apart from Ade Ogundeji's one sack last season, he's the only player to have recorded a sack in the NFL. That should likely change this season with rookies Arnold Ebiketie and DeAngelo Malone in the rotation, but Carter is going to be the likeliest linebacker to contribute early in the season.

Without Carter leading the way, it could look like another struggling season for the Falcons defense.

Published Aug 3, 2022

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.