The Falcoholic
We’re all holding our breath to see how significant the injury Kaleb McGary suffered on Wednesday at Atlanta Falcons practice is. While we do so, ESPN’s Adam Schefter is here to dropkick us directly in the windpipe.
Per Schefter, swing tackle and key Kaleb McGary insurance Storm Norton had ankle surgery yesterday, which comes with a recovery timeline of 6-8 weeks. That would put him on track to return sometime in October, which is better than missing the season but makes for a very scary problem at this moment in time.
Norton has become a valuable reserve because McGary generally misses a game or two every season, and Norton has the pass protection chops and solid enough run blocking ability to fill-in capably in the interim. The Falcons have kept him around because of that reliability, but they may need him badly in the near future if McGary’s injury is serious and now won’t have him. If McGary is going to miss time, the Falcons now have a five alarm fire at right tackle with a left-handed quarterback under center. It’s bad.
The team’s current in-house options are limited. Rookie Jack Nelson might be a good swing tackle in a year or two with work and experience, but preseason has suggested he’s got a ways to go until he reaches that level, if he ever gets there. Elijah Wilkinson has been a capable enough fill-in before, in Atlanta and elsewhere, but hasn’t played right tackle in three years now. Brandon Parker has the most snaps at right tackle out of any option available, but has consistently been mediocre there when pressed into action. Unless McGary is back real soon, the Falcons probably can’t stand pat with this group, and I expect they know that.
Tackle options with starting experience that might be cut by other teams include Andre Dillard with the Packers, Vederian Lowe with the Patriots, and David Quessenberry with the Rams. Dalton Risner just had a visit with the Bengals but is still out there, as are Jedrick Wills and Isaiah Wynn. There’s absolutely nobody available you’re going to be comfortable starting for, say, half a season, but barring a trade the Falcons are probably going to have to take that route and pit whoever sticks out of the group of Nelson, Parker, and Wilkinson against a signing and hope for the best. I’d bet on Wilkinson being the first man up.
We’ll hope for a positive update about McGary soon, but Atlanta’s potentially tremendous offense appears to have absorbed a massive blow today. We just have to cross our fingers that Norton is back and healthy as soon as humanly possible.
