Troy Andersen

Don Wassall

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Troy is a great all-around athlete who was drafted in the second round. Would be great to see him start as a rookie, but we'll have to see if he has to go through a racial apprenticeship before boosting the Falcons' terrible defense. The first training camp reports are positive:

Troy Andersen is making plays
Expectations for rookie linebacker Troy Andersen are all over the place. The second-round pick not only played his college football at FCS Montana State, he also played three different positions across his four seasons. In reality, he only played two full seasons at linebacker, with the rest of his time split at running back and quarterback. He’s also an incredibly special athlete and enters the NFL with arguably the highest athletic ceiling of any player in the class.

I think some growing pains are to be expected, particularly with regards to his tackling and ability to play the run. But in coverage and in a limited-contact practice? There was always a chance we could see Andersen really look special. It happened on Friday.

Andersen’s plays all happened in 11-on-11, so there won’t be any clips. But believe me when I say there were impressive. First, he chased down quarterback Marcus Mariota, who broke free for what looked like a long rushing TD after he escaped the pocket. Andersen came flying in from the other side of the formation and was able to limit the damage to approximately a 30-40 yard gain.

He also had a few standout plays in coverage, including a very impressive one against rookie Tyler Allgeier. Allgeier got loose for downfield and Ridder delivered a very good pass, but Andersen closed instantly and absolutely smothered the play. With Andersen’s size and speed, Allgeier had no chance at the ball. Andersen knocked it harmlessly away, and he made it look easy.

That’s the type of coverage player he can be. Andersen can smother running backs in coverage with his size, and is faster and more agile than 95% of NFL tight ends. And in terms of his range, he’s almost like a safety in his ability to prevent big gains and long TDs. We’ll see how quickly he can acclimate to the run game and the finer points of the linebacker position, but no matter what, he’ll be fun to watch.

https://www.thefalcoholic.com/2022/...ordarrelle-patterson-aj-terrell-troy-andersen
 

Bucky

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Another stud Rookie LB to be VERY excited about! Andersen is a smooth and natural athlete at his size. I expect big things from him.

Been a while since the Dirty Birds have had some honkeys to cheer for on Defense! Brookings and Kearney were All Time Greats for Atlanta. In recent years Biermann was a serviceable starter. No doubt Andersen has more upside than being just a capable starter!
 

El Gringo

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Can 5% of the leagues tight ends run faster than Andersens 4.42 forty? I don’t think so. He’s faster than all of the tight tends and alot of the wrs and rbs. I can’t wait to see him flying around the field!
 

Red Raider

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Call me crazy but if I was a coach with Andersen on my team I’d have packages for him at wildcat QB and RB!
 

El Gringo

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Call me crazy but if I was a coach with Andersen on my team I’d have packages for him at wildcat QB and RB!
No doubt if Andersen happened to be black they would definitely have some packages thrown in for him with his skills. If they do play him in on offense it would probably be as Don would put it “the dreaded fb/te/hb” position so he could get a little blocking in for the brothers. Here’s some highlights that include a few offensive plays. What an athlete!
 

Don Wassall

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Troy will make his first start tomorrow in place of the injured Mychal Walker (who has been playing well). Troy has mostly been a special teamer until now though he was already beginning to see increased snaps at ILB before Walker's injury. Let's hope for a nice game for him on the way to a stellar NFL career.
 

Bucky

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Excellent news. I'll predict 6 tackles and an Sack.
 

SneakyQuick

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250 pounds and sub 4.45 40 at the combine. Good thing he’s such a gym rat, overachiever, lunch pail carrying, non stop motor or he might have some upside?
 

Don Wassall

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Troy Andersen is often mentioned as a possible "breakout" player in 2023, and why not? He's a great combination of athleticism and smarts and he should be a star at linebacker beginning this season:

 

Don Wassall

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Bad news for Troy. At least Nate Landman will be replacing him in the starting lineup:

Andersen will require surgery to address a torn pectoral muscle and could be sidelined for 4-to-6 months, D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Analysis: After being placed on injured reserve Tuesday, Andersen will have to miss a minimum of four games, but the Falcons are anticipating him being sidelined for much longer. Given the projected recovery timeline, Andersen looks like he'll end up missing the rest of the regular season, though the linebacker could have a shot at returning for the playoffs, if the Falcons earn a postseason spot. The Falcons will likely turn to Nate Landman to start in place of Andersen, just as they did when Andersen missed the team's Week 2 win over the Packers with a concussion. Andersen had put himself on the IDP radar during the two games in which he played, totaling 19 tackles and a half sack.
 
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