The Atlanta Falcons have been one of the busiest teams this season. They have been busy strengthening the defence, and many have said they could win their league next season. However, Atlanta now had to let go of a seasoned veteran. It was announced on Friday, April 21, that the team would be transferring veteran linebacker, Casey Hayward. While Hayward may not be the Pro-Ball cornerback he once was with the Chargers, he can still be effective in the right system. While the move may seem questionable on paper, when you dive in deeper, it makes sense why the Hawks made such a difficult decision.
Atlanta Falcons release Casey Hayward
Atlanta key signals this off season
As already pointed out, the Falcons were one of the most surprising teams this season. They traded Jeff Okuda from Detroit, signed safety, and Jesse Bates, along with Mike Hughes. Atlanta also has one of the best current cornerbacks in the NFL in AJ Terrell who played across from Casey Hayward this past year. Not to mention, Atlanta also has a top 10 draft pick.
With all that activity, it unfortunately pushed Hayward out of Atlanta’s long-term plans which makes sense when you consider that Hayward is a 33-year-old defensive tackle with likely better days behind him. That’s not to say the two-time Pro-Bowler can’t contribute to the right environment, but he won’t be a staple in the Atlanta Falcons’ future. Most likely, Casey Hayward will find a team that could use his services next season, especially when one takes a look at his impressive NFL resume.
Casey Hayward career
Casey Hayward was once considered one of the best defensive backs in the league, and with good reason. For his career, Hayward has 104 pass deflections, 23 interceptions, and 391 total tackles. When he was in his prime, arguably his Chargers tenure, Hayward tallied 14 picks to go along with 66 pass deflections in 75 games started. Not to mention he also had four tackles for loss during this time and two fumble recoveries.
During the first four years of his career with the Green Bay Packers, the former Pro-Bowl corner recorded nine interceptions, 34 pass deflections, and 168 combined tackles. Hayward had a down year last season as age is definitely catching up to him. However, with his reputation and resume, there will definitely be a team that needs a veteran locker room presence that will find good use in Casey Hayward.