In 2013, the Atlanta Falcons tried to secure their future at cornerback in the post-Brent Grimes era by adding Desmond Trufant in the first round and Robert Alford in the second round. By any objective measure, that decision was a huge success. Both players were also immediately—and remained—extremely divisive.
On Tuesday, the Falcons ended the era, cutting ties with Alford after six seasons in Atlanta. Trufant remains under contract and his contract virtually ensures he’ll remain with the team until 2020, as his contract loses dead money in 2021 and especially in 2022.