Goodman battling back from knee surgery
Falcons defensive end Malliciah Goodman, who got off to a slow start in training camp, had offseason surgery to repair the meniscus in his right knee.
“He came back and is now starting to round into form,” defensive line coach Bryan Cox said.
Goodman, 6-foot-4 and 276 pounds, was drafted in the fourth-round of the 2013 draft. He made 10 starts and played in all 16 games last season.
He finished with 17 tackles and two forced fumbles. He played 594 snaps and was the 31st rated defensive end of the group who played more than 50 percent of their team’s snaps, according to profootballfocus.com.
The Falcons are trying to find a spot for him in the new defense.
“I’m willing to play whatever role that they have for me,” Goodman said. “I’ve played some Leo, some three technique and some four. I’ve been all over the place. I’m just filling in whatever role that is there for me.”
Goodman expects to see some action against Tennessee in the exhibition opener at 7 p.m. Friday at the Georgia Dome.
“Right now, we are just trying to get our defense plugged in and be sound as a group,” Goodman said. “In the (exhibition) season, we are going to try and play like unit like we have been trying to practice every day.”
About the Author
Honored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his "long and distinguished reporting in the field of pro football," D. Orlando Ledbetter, Esq. has covered the NFL 28 seasons. A graduate of Howard University, he's a winner of Georgia Sportswriter of the Year and three Associated Press Sports Editor awards.
