The Falcons entered the 2018 season with a core group of young, physical defenders poised to help the team back to the playoffs for a third-straight year. But after just three games the unit is almost unrecognizable because of injury. Safety Ricardo Allen tore his Achilles tendon in Sunday's overtime loss to the Saints and he's done for the year, the team announced Monday.

Allen signed a three-year $19.5 million extension before the season. He joins safety Keanu Neal (torn ACL in Week 1) and linebacker Deion Jones (foot) on injured reserve, though Jones is expected to return later in the season. The Falcons were without 2017 first-round pick defensive end Tak McKinley on Sunday, and he may be unavailable in Week 4 as he battles a groin injury.

That's just the defense. On offense, guard Andy Levitre's season is over after suffered a torn triceps, and running back Devonta Freeman continues to battle a knee injury that has limited him to just six carries in 2018.

With Atlanta now without both starting safeties, that leaves Damontae Kazee, Jordan Richards and Keith Tandy to fill the void. This is a huge problem in a division that includes Drew Brees, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Cam Newton. Whether the Falcons would consider signing Eric Reid, one of the league's best young safeties, remains to be seen.

Originally the 49ers' 2013 first-round pick, Reid knelt alongside Colin Kaepernick during the 2016 season to protest social injustice, and did the same in 2017, but went unsigned in the offseason. In May, he  filed a collusion grievance against the NFL, and a week later the NFL Players Association filed a non-injury grievance on his behalf.

Reid was supposed to work out for the Titans early in training camp, after Johnathan Cyprien went down with a season-ending injury. But Tennessee instead signed Kenny Vaccaro after multiple flight cancellations prevented Reid from flying in for a workout, reported NFL.com's Ian Rapoport, who added, "[Tennessee] had good talks with Reid and he remains an option down the road." 

Reid remains out of work, though perhaps the Falcons losing both starting safeties will be reason enough for an NFL team to offer him a contract. Other options include free agents Mike Mitchell and Tyvon Branch, or Seahawks veteran Earl Thomas should the Falcons want to make a blockbuster trade in hopes of saving the season.