With Mohamed Sanu traded for a second-round pick, are the Falcons tanking?

With Mohamed Sanu traded for a second-round pick, are the Falcons tanking? 

With 6 losses on their record even before the halfway mark in the season, the Falcons season outlook looks bleak, or does it? Surprisingly, the six losses on the Falcons’ record does not reflect a playoff picture because none of the losses are in conference. This is why I maintain a seemingly ‘unrealistic’ outlook like many of Atlanta’s fanbase. However, with the trading of Mohamed Sanu to the Patriots for a 2nd-round pick, it seems as if they are preparing bargaining chips. 

Granted the Patriots are one of the few teams that would have given up a 2nd round pick for a player like Sanu, but the deal seems to not make much sense unless they utilized the trade to get an elite defensive player. Few teams have looked worse than the falcons so far this season, but with more offensive talent. 

With the Falcons being ranked near last in the NFL in sacks, defense, and points per game, the defense desperately needs help and it should come in the form of a defensive lineman. Vic Beasley looks as if he was not a first-round pick a few years ago as his production lacks and with Keanu Neal out for the year, it would take a great amount of pressure off of a very lackluster secondary. 

But it still seems as if the Falcons are getting rid of an impact player that has been and would have continued to be an impact player deep into the season and the second-round pick could only help them in the future, but not anytime this season. If the Falcons decide to trade away something before the trade deadline for an important defensive piece, then they could potentially salvage a seemingly bleak season. If they do not, the loss of Mohamed Sanu would definitely be in vain. 

With 6 games left to play in the conference, a season turn around is not impossible. But as of now, without an important piece of their dynamic offense and little to no standout play on defense, it looks as if the Falcons have begun to give up this season.

-By: LeMarkus Bailey