Falcons poach OL Storm Norton from Saints’ practice squad and place LB Troy Andersen on IR

It’s not clear if there’s an injury in the building or the Falcons just like Norton.

The Falcons hadn’t done a ton of tinkering with their roster up to this point, but if we know one thing about this front office and coaching staff, it’s that they get the itch. On Tuesday, they reportedly made a move to bolster the offensive line, snagging tackle Storm Norton off the Saints’ practice squad.

The Falcons now have a stocked depth chart along their offensive line, and the corresponding move is placing Troy Andersen on injured reserve, as feared.

The 29-year-old Norton has 18 games of starting experience under his belt, 15 of those in 2021 with the Chargers. His best work came in a three game stint for the Chargers the year prior, where he looked pretty good as a fill-in option; the following year he was a plus run blocking right tackle but scuffled in pass protection, allowing nine sacks and 59 pressures per Pro Football Focus. He fits a theme in Atlanta, in other words, as someone who can pave the way for Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier if pressed into action but not necessarily keep Desmond Ridder safe from harm.

The Falcons now are carrying ten offensive linemen on their active roster, however briefly, with swing tackle Isaiah Prince and interior reserves Ryan Neuzil, Kyle Hinton, and Jovaughn Gwyn all holding on to spots. It’s likely they shake things up there sooner than later, but it’s good to see them actively foraging for depth with the state of the line looking a little grim at the moment and one injury away from potentially becoming far more grim. Norton is likely Kaleb McGary insurance.

Andersen, meanwhile, was hurt in Sunday’s game against the Lions and it sounded like he would in fact miss the rest of the season. That appears to be the case, with the high-upside defender hitting injured reserve, which is a huge bummer. Nate Landman is set to take his spot.

Give Norton a warm welcome to Atlanta, if you would.