Terry Fontenot will have a bit of money to play with after restructures and cuts, but spending will still be somewhat limited in a post-covid NFL. It’s very clear that Atlanta’s defense needs a lot of help, so I expect the Falcons to dip into a deep free agency class and come away with a few gems. All contract valuations are via PFF & Over the Cap. My final free agency big board will be released right before free agency begins on March 17th, but if you want to read about five realistic free agent options for the offense, the link is below:
Five realistic free agent options: Offense
IDL Jurrell Casey (one year, $5 million)
I think Casey is incredibly valuable at this price, and hopefully, there are no hard feelings between him and his former defensive coordinator after Casey said he was “disrespected” and “thrown away like trash” when the Titans traded him for a seventh round pick. Regardless, I talked about how well Casey has played, and I think he’s certainly worth bringing in for an interview.
EDGE Romeo Okwara (three years, $19.5 million)
Romeo Okwara finally broke out in 2020 after recording 61 pressures and ten sacks, so he should be handsomely rewarded for his efforts. I don’t think $6.5 million over three seasons is a bad contract at all, and Okwara looks like he will only improve as time goes on. Atlanta desperately needs some help rushing the passer, and on top of racking up ten sacks, the amount of pressure he created on a so-so Lions defensive front cannot be ignored.
CB/S Desmond King (three years, $17.5 million)
I talked about adding Desmond King, and if he’s truly going for less than $6 million per season, the Falcons need to be all over him. King is one of the best slot defenders in the entire NFL and has been for a few seasons. In addition, he has flexibility at safety, filling two massive positions of need at once.
S Duron Harmon (two years, $12 million)
I think Atlanta will be in on Duron Harmon; he’s pretty cheap and was very dependable for the Patriots before a down year in Detroit. There are a lot of premium safeties on the market like John Johnson III, Anthony Harris, and Marcus Williams, but this is an area I could see Atlanta diving into the bargain bin for, especially with the talent available in the draft.
S Malik Hooker (one year, $2 million)
I’ve talked about why I like Malik Hooker, as he makes perfect sense for a team like the Falcons. The former Ohio State Buckeye will cost pennies and has plenty of talent; he just needs to stay healthy. There’s little to no risk with this move, and I think Hooker could pay massive dividends if he finally plays a full season. He’s an absolute ballhawk when he’s on the field.
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