Falcons' Kemal Ishmael: Will play outside linebacker in spring

Ishmael (shoulder) will play outside linebacker exclusively in the spring, D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports.

Analysis:

Ishmael was listed as a free safety on last year's depth chart, but with the Falcons releasing Philip Wheeler and Vic Beasley being more of a pass rusher, they are looking to Ishmael to fill a more traditional strong-side linebacker role. He recorded 52 combined tackles while playing only 27.9 percent of Atlanta's defensive snaps in 13 games last season before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury, so the Falcons will be hoping he can successfully bring his tackling abilities from safety to linebacker in the coming months.