Atlanta Falcons: Grading Chris Chester signing

The Atlanta Falcons were looking to beef up their offensive line, and they, along with the Philadelphia Eagles, scheduled a free agent visit with former Washington Redskins right guard Chris Chester, who was released by the team this offseason in order to save $4 million. A decent veteran guard who lacks consistency, Chester chose to sign with Atlanta, as per ESPN NFL Nation’s Vaughn McClure.

It didn’t take long at all for Chester to decide on the Falcons, and he probably saw a better opportunity to start there, and former Redskins offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan likely made Atlanta an even more attractive option for the 32-year-old Oklahoma product.

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Financial details of the deal haven’t been disclosed in a specific enough manner, but McClure has passed along that it is a one-year deal worth $2.8 million. That’s perfectly reasonable for a starting-caliber guard, and perhaps it was also more than what Chip Kelly and the Eagles were willing to pay for the former NFC East player’s services.

The Falcons current starting right guard is big 2014 free agent pick-up Jon Asamoah, who is locked in as the team’s best offensive lineman on paper as we head into the 2015 regular season. However, they have a sizeable hole at left guard with Harland Gunn occupying the starting spot, though they have kicked around the idea of moving Sam Baker inside. That seems to be on hold, though, after they gave Chester $2.8 million, but it’s all for the better anyway, and it makes the offensive tackle battle all the more interesting to watch once training camp opens up.

Shanahan is ready to install the zone-blocking system in Atlanta as the team’s new offensive coordinator, and it’s been a successful system that has coaxed efficient rushing seasons out of the likes of Alfred Morris and Isaiah Crowell. Rookie Tevin Coleman could be next in-line, and Devonta Freeman will also benefit from Chester’s signing. Even if he struggled in the running game last year for the Redskins, Chester’s ability to fit Shanahan’s scheme is important, and he’s enough of an upgrade over Gunn even without accounting for scheme.

It’s hard to evaluate deals when things like guaranteed money haven’t been released, but everything else about the signing checks out. The Atlanta Falcons needed a starting-caliber guard to fill one of their holes on the roster, and they were able to find a guy who can fill that void and has experience with their new offensive coordinator. Additionally, you don’t usually find guys like Chester on the free agent market at this point in the calendar year, and he wouldn’t have even made it to the Falcons had he earned $2.8 million under his contract with the Redskins for the 2015 season.

There aren’t many guarantees in the NFL, so Chris Chester does need to have a good enough training camp in order to lock up a starting spot. But the odds are definitely in his favor, especially if he gets more guaranteed money than expected. It’s a solid signing for the Falcons on paper, even if he’s only an average talent overall.

Even average offensive linemen aren’t easy to find, and the fit was too good for the Falcons to pass up on, especially at this point in the offseason. I also have a feeling that this is a guy they really wanted to bring in, and he should be better this season due to the scheme switch back to the zone-blocking set-up that suits him better.

Grade (without knowledge of guaranteed money): B-

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