NFL Trade Rumors
Projected Cap Space: -$8.4 million
Draft Picks: 4
Notable Free Agents:
1 – Defensive Line
One consequence of all the resources the Falcons sunk into the offense last offseason — and specifically the quarterback position with $100 million in free agency to Kirk Cousins and the No. 8 pick on Michael Penix Jr. — is that the pass rush was left weaker. The Falcons tried to backstop things with second and third-round picks on DT Ruke Orhorhoro and DE Bralen Trice, plus trading a 2025 third-rounder during the preseason to the Patriots for Judon.
But Trice missed the year with an injury, Orhorhoro played less than 150 snaps and Judon had just 5.5 sacks. The Falcons ranked next-to-last in the league with 31 sacks and weren’t much better in pressure rate, ranking 25th at 20 percent. After finishing the season ranked 23rd in both scoring defense and total defense, the Falcons fired DC Jimmy Lake after just one season and replaced him with former Jets DC Jeff Ulbrich.
Ulbrich was a key part of building some quality defensive units with the Jets over the past few years, and all of them had the foundation of being strong up front. With Penix locked in as the starter for 2025, expect the top priority for the Falcons to be a makeover of their front four on defense. They have to figure out what they have with recent draft picks who are under contract like Orhorhoro, Trice, DL Brandon Dorlus, DE Arnold Ebiketie and DL Zach Harrison, as well as whether tenured but expensive veterans like DT Grady Jarrett and DT David Onyemata are worth the cost at this stage in their careers — particularly with limited cap space.
At minimum, it feels like the Falcons could bring in two new starting edge rushers, or at least two players who would get the first run in the heavy rotation Ulbrich likes to use. Defensive tackle depends on whether Jarrett and/or Onyemata are cap casualties but the Falcons will likely make some degree of investment there as well.
2 – Cornerback
The lack of a pass rush didn’t make things easy for the Falcons’ secondary but the group as a whole still wasn’t a strength for Atlanta in 2024. While CB AJ Terrell is a quality top option, the Falcons haven’t been able to build up the rest of the room around him. They relied on Alford and Hughes, both of whom are pending free agents. Neither would be difficult to bring back and would...
