In absolutely terrible news, the Falcons announced on Sunday with the release of the inactive players list that LB Divine Deablo has been placed on injured reserve with the forearm injury he suffered in Atlanta’s
Week 7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
That loss was frustrating, but for me, the most upsetting part was Deablo’s injury. He’s been a perfect fit for what Jeff Ulbrich wants to do; he’s got the length, the speed, the athletic ability, and the versatility to thrive in a scheme like this, and he’s been a rising tide that lifts all the boats around him. I have a lot of confidence in Ulbrich and his ability to put his players in the best position to succeed, but losing Deablo is a real blow.
The move to IR is all the flip-card changes connected to the inactives list confirm — earlier this week, Raheem Morris said Deablo will be “week-to-week,” and they can return up to eight players from injured reserve this season (up to 10 if the Falcons make the postseason, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves here).
Deablo has contributed 24 tackles, half a sack, one fumble recovery, and four pass breakups this season, but the extent of his impact can’t be seen in the box score. He’s opened things up for Kaden Elliss and has been very disruptive. He will be sorely missed, and I hope he will be able to return this season.
DeAngelo Malone is the next man up on the depth chart, and Jeff Ulbrich said last week that it will take a “by-committee” approach to truly fill the hole left by Deablo’s broken forearm. Safety DeMarco Hellams, JD Bertrand, Josh Woods and newly signed ILB Ronnie Harrison could be a part of that rotation.
In other IR news, the Falcons also noted that safety Jordan Fuller (who may also end up being a part of that rotation while Deablo is sidelined) has been activated from injured reserve. That opens his 21-day window, and the Falcons will have that timespan to decide if he’s healthy enough to hit the field again.
