The Falcons turned a lot of heads March 1 when the pass-rush starved team released defensive end John Abraham and his 122 career sacks.
They attempted to fill that void Wednesday by agreeing to terms on a two-year contract with former New York Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora. The deal averages $4.25 million per year as a base package. There are some incentives that could take the deal higher.
Umenyiora, 31, provides the team with a proven pass rusher. Abraham, who will turn 35 in May, accounted for 34.4 percent of the Falcons’ sacks last season and had been a mainstay on the defense since being acquired in a 2005 trade with the New York Jets.
The defense finished last season ranked 24th overall (356.6 yards per game), 21st against the run (123.2) and 23rd against the pass (242.3) in the NFL. The Falcons had 29 sacks, which ranked 28th in the league. Abraham had 10 of those sacks.
Umenyiora’s 75 sacks ranks 10th among active players. Abraham’s 122 sacks tops the list of active players. Umenyiora also has played in 10 playoff games and has registered 5.5 sacks in those games.
It is unclear how the Falcons will use Umenyiora, who was part of the Giants’ rotation at defensive end and made only four starts last season. He played 34 of 67 snaps (50 percent) against the Falcons on Dec. 12. He had three tackles, one tackle for a loss and a quarterback hit. For the season, he recorded 55 tackles, six sacks, five tackles for loss and one forced fumble.
In addition to releasing Abraham, the Falcons also parted ways with running back Michael Turner and cornerback Dunta Robinson. They have replaced Turner by signing Steven Jackson to a three-year, $12 million deal.
Umenyiora, 6-foot-3 and 255 pounds, was drafted in the second round of the 2003 draft by the Giants. He was a major cog along the defensive line that helped propel the Giants to two Super Bowl titles.
On their way to the Super Bowl XLVI title, Umenyiora, who has a residence in metro Atlanta, and the Giants defeated the Falcons in the wild-card round after the 2011 season.
He was part of the defensive line that dominated the line of scrimmage against the Falcons. The Giants’ pass rush also was vital to them winning the Super Bowl after the 2007 season and destroying New England’s perfect season. Umenyiora had 13 sacks that season.
He was named to the Pro Bowl in 2005 and 2007. He was named a first team All-Pro by the Associated Press in 2005 and a second-team All-Pro in 2010.
Overall, he’s played in 129 games and had 430 tackles and 75 sacks. He also has forced 31 fumbles and has 13 fumble recoveries.
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