Former Falcons cornerback Brian Poole is garnering some interest on the open market. We learned earlier today that he will visit the Jets, and he has a summit with the Bengals lined up after that, per Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
Poole had been the Falcons’ primary nickel cornerback for the past three seasons, but Atlanta decided against tendering him as a restricted free agent, even at the low-level tender. In 2018, he set new career highs in tackles (74), sacks (3.0), and interceptions (3), which made the club’s decision to non-tender him something of a surprise.
On the other hand, he ranked near the bottom of the league in nearly every advanced corner metric, so the Falcons may feel that they won’t be missing much. The team as a whole ranked near the bottom of the league in passing defense, so it will look to infuse the unit with some fresh blood.
The Bengals, meanwhile, could be looking for a replacement for Darqueze Dennard, whom the club is willing to re-sign, but only if the price is right.