The Falcons are smack dab in the middle of the season with a chance to end a five-year playoff drought as the club sits atop the NFC South. All Atlanta has to do to punch their ticket to the postseason is take care of business in the division, which is easier said than done.
Regardless of what happens the rest of the season, the Falcons will have a pivotal offseason ahead of them. The answer at the quarterback position is not currently in the building, so they’ll be in the market for one, but there’s more to address than just at signal caller.
The offensive line could stand to be upgraded; Drake London looks awfully lonely in the receiver room, and several areas on the defensive side of the ball will have to be bolstered given all of the pending free agents.
Dan Graziano of ESPN recently did a prediction piece on potential offseason cut and trade candidates. Several should be on the Falcons’ radars.
Amari Cooper, WR, Cleveland Browns
Cooper, 29, is still playing on that very straightforward $20 million-per-year deal that the Cowboys gave him in March 2020. That got too expensive for Dallas once it drafted CeeDee Lamb and prompted the team to trade Cooper to Cleveland. The deal runs through 2024, though none of Cooper’s $20 million salary in 2024 is guaranteed. The Browns restructured the deal when they got him in March 2022, which means they have a little bit of dead money if they cut him next spring. But they’d also save $12.5 million on next year’s cap if they cut or trade him, and they’d save $20 million if they made him a post-June 1 cut.
The Falcons don’t really use the offensive weapons they have now, but that shouldn’t stop them from acquiring talent if the opportunity presents itself. Amari Cooper may have taken a step back in terms of production but still finished with the 12th most yards in football last year going for nearly 1,200.
Chris Jones, DT Kansas City Chiefs
Jones is an illustration of what the Chiefs’ salary cap life is about to be over the next several years. Consider that he’s eligible for free agency at the end of this season, the two sides couldn’t come to an agreement on a contract extension this past offseason, and it would cost the Chiefs more than $32 million to franchise him in 2024.
I find it highly unlikely that the Chiefs let Chris Jones walk in free agency, but if he’s available, I wouldn’t mind adding him to an already talented interior of David Onyemata and Grady Jarrett. Jones might be turning 30, but Atlanta just gave Onyemata a lucrative contract. The only thing holding a deal like this back is Atlanta’s investment in this specific area.
Multiple candidates from the Los Angeles Chargers
- Joey Bosa, OLB
- Khalil Mack, OLB
On the defensive side, the guarantees on Bosa’s deal run out after this season. He’s owed $22 million in 2024 and $25.36 million in 2025. Those aren’t bad prices for a high-end edge rusher at all, but Bosa missed 12 games last season with a groin injury, and he has been in and out of the lineup this year with health issues. Mack, meanwhile, is seventh in sacks this season with 7.0, but he turns 33 in February and is scheduled to earn about $23 million next season. That money is not guaranteed.
Bosa has struggled to stay healthy, but he’s undoubtedly one of the top players at his position when healthy. If there’s one thing this defense is missing, it’s a consistent edge presence in the pass rush. Khalil Mack is a little less interesting because of his age, but the Falcons could do much worse. There’s not a lot of left on his deal either so it’s not a big commitment other than the $23 million he is due next season
Brandon Aiyuk, WR, San Francisco 49ers
The 2020 first-round pick is in the middle of a huge season (10th in receiving at 620 yards and averaging 17.7 yards per reception) and has a fully guaranteed $14.124 million coming in 2024 on his fifth-year option. The reason he’s listed here is that the 49ers are currently projected over or right up against next year’s cap and are already paying out big money to Deebo Samuel at the wide receiver position. And that’s not to mention top-of-market money at tight end, left tackle, linebacker … basically everywhere but quarterback.
At some point, the 49ers have to run out of money paying all of these guys, right? Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, Deebo Samuel, Christian McCaffrey and Trent Williams are either the highest paid or one of the highest at their resepctive positions. Aiyuk might be the one that slips through the cracks and could be a target for the Falcons.
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Photographer: Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire
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