Dontari Poe meets weight target with Falcons to play much lighter
By Matt Conner
Dontari Poe has a chance to make significant money both this year and in the future with his new approach to playing weight.
The Atlanta Falcons are making Dontari Poe a rich man in the present and likely the future as well with the way they’re approaching his playing weight. At four different points throughout the offseason, Poe has workout bonuses that give him $125,000 for being at or under a prescribed weight in the hopes of getting him to 330 for a regular season playing weight. He met that goal again on Tuesday.
Falcons coach Dan Quinn said Dontari Poe indeed met the proper weight today pic.twitter.com/CJypQ7qD3r
— vaughn mcclure (@vxmcclure23) June 13, 2017
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Not only is Poe cashing large checks this summer for being at the right weight, but this new playing size of 330 pounds is over 15 pounds lighter than he played at Kansas City. If 330 still sounds large, it is, but in Kansas City, Poe was coming in at 346 pounds or more and anchoring the line with his tremendous size. Losing that weight while retaining muscle and conditioning should allow him to be a bit more flexible and demand less on his joints throughout the season. For a defensive lineman who has battled back issues, playing at nearly 20 pounds less could make a serious difference in his long-term health and ability to stay an effective linemen in the NFL.
If Poe can show that he can still be a strong run defender and a dependable three-down asset along the line at 330, he might get the long-term contract he desires on the open market next season—the kind of that eluded him this year.