The Falcons came out of the gates storming when the bell rang for the legal tampering period, agreeing to deals with Kirk Cousins and Darnell Mooney, filling the roster’s two biggest holes immediately.
Following the first wave of free agency, the Falcons still have some positional needs to address as well as some housekeeping items. EDGE and cornerback are the two most pressing, but they could use another receiver, safety, and depth at multiple positions.
A.J. Terrell is also up for a new contract. An extension is expected for the 2020 first-round pick, who has 36 pass breakups over four seasons and is entering the prime years of his career. The expectation is that Terrell will garner a deal somewhere between $19 and $20 million in average annual value over four or five years.
Kyle Pitts also needs his fifth-year option exercised or not. The price is around $10.9 million with a deadline set for May 2, but the overwhelming expectation is the Falcons will pick it up; PFF predicts they will.
Pitts’ option is a great value at the tight end number compared to the wide receiver amounts, and a fully healthy Pitts in 2024 with Kirk Cousins throwing him the ball can help him return to playing like the dynamic 1,000-yard rookie sensation.
Pitts broke onto the scene as a rookie, putting up 1,026 yards on 68 receptions en route to a Pro Bowl but hasn’t sniffed that level of success since then.
His next two seasons were marred by a season-ending injury and shotty quarterback play. Over the 2022 and 2023 campaigns, Pitts only recorded 1,023 yards on 81 receptions.
He’s expected to be healthier in 2024, another year removed from the knee injury. Zac Robinson is regarded as one of the brightest young offensive minds in the game, and Kirk Cousins is now in the fold. There’s reason to be optimistic about Kyle Pitts’ future in Atlanta.
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Photographer: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
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