The Falcons have several roster needs other than quarterback.
Drake London needs a couple of friends in the receiver room, but there are plenty of options. The draft will feature a ton of intriguing talents, and the free agent class will provide pro-ready pass-catchers if that’s Atlanta’s preference.
The Falcons also need to address the edge position. Lorenzo Carter is a cut candidate, but even if the club keeps him, Raheem Morris’ defense needs a difference maker at the position. Even more than receiver, the markets are robust with options — trade, free agency, and the draft.
Unlike those two, the cornerback market isn’t quite as plentiful in solutions. The free agent and draft classes don’t seem to have a lot of answers, which makes a trade interesting with L’Jarius Sneed being the most sought after candidate.
Tony Pauline doubled down on the Falcons’ interest in the star corner recently, saying they are one of the teams interested in trading for him.
“The overwhelming feeling is the Chiefs expect to be playing without Sneed in 2024 and rather than lose him in free agency and then receive a compensation pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, they’ll try and get a better pick in return this April,” Pauline writes. “As of Wednesday morning word was the Atlanta Falcons, a team that was hot on Sneed’s trail if he hit free agency, are one franchise interested in potentially trading for the cornerback.”
Tyler Dragon of USA Today is also reporting the same — the Atlanta Falcons have expressed interest in L’Jarius Sneed.
“A person with direct knowledge of the situation told USA TODAY Sports that the Minnesota Vikings, Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, New England Patriots, Detroit Lions, Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars have expressed interest in the Chiefs corner.”
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated speculated about the potential cost of a trade for the Falcons or any other club interested in Sneed’s services.
“That will likely mean star corner L’Jarius Sneed gets traded. I’d bet he fetches a second-round pick for the Chiefs and gets himself a deal worth more than $20 million per year,” Breer wrote.
With A.J. Terrell’s contract extension looming, the Falcons have an interesting situation on their hands. Sneed and Terrell would be one of the best cornerback duos in the league, but paying them both around $20 million per season is a large percentage of Atlanta’s salary cap. It’s a premium position, so it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, but a lot of it could depend on the direction the Falcons go at quarterback.
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Photographer: Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire
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