Pro Football Rumors

On an O-line including three eight-figure-per-year contracts, Dalman’s fourth-round salary proved valuable. He beat out Matt Hennessy for the center job in 2022 and built a strong free agency case despite missing a chunk of his contract year due to injury. A 40-game starter, Dalman emerged as a success story from Fontenot’s first draft. Dalman was in place when the Falcons geared their offense around Marcus Mariota‘s run-oriented skillset in 2022. Atlanta ranked in the top 10 in rushing in each of the past two seasons, and PFF placed Dalman as a top-four center in 2023 and ’24.

With the Falcons’ Cousins mistake bleeding into 2025, they were not in a realistic position to keep the high-value free agent off the market. The Bears gave Dalman a three-year, $42MM deal. Dalman is now the NFL’s third-highest-paid center. Ex-UDFA Ryan Neuzil, retained via RFA tender, has made 12 starts over the past two seasons.

Neuzil, 27, can create a promising 2026 market with a strong starter season. Although the center market has seen some notable updates since 2024, the position has been largely affordable. Neuzil could potentially be retained on a mid-market salary, but that will depend on his starter foray.

The Judon trade did not work out. Costing a third-round pick, the former Patriots and Ravens stalwart did not show too much as an edge rusher in Morris’ scheme. A biceps injury shelved Judon for 13 games in 2023, and after angling for a Patriots extension, he played out his contract as a Falcon. A 5.5-sack season commenced. That is decent by Falcons standards, but only nine QB hits came with that. In Judon’s previous full season (2022), he tallied 28 hits. No team has signed him this offseason. The Titans did sign Carter, but the three-year Falcon OLB retired before training camp.

Simmons, 31, joins Judon in being unsigned. He caught on with Atlanta late last summer, and the four-time second-team All-Pro could not sustain his Broncos form. The NFL’s INT leader from 2019-23, Simmons snagged two last season. PFF ranked him 69th among safety regulars — by far a career-worst placement.

Although Simmons expressed interest in staying, the Falcons did not reciprocate. They have since met with Jordan Whitehead about a potential deal, though nothing has come to fruition. The team will aim for Watts to be ready at some point this year to complement Bates.

Draft:

• Round 1, No. 15: Jalon Walker (LB, Georgia) (signed)
• Round 1, No. 26 (from Rams): James Pearce (DE, Tennessee) (signed)
• Round 3, No. 96 (from Eagles): Xavier Watts (S, Notre Dame) (signed)
• Round 4, No. 118: Billy Bowman (S, Oklahoma) (signed)
• Round 7, No. 218 (from Browns through Chargers): Jack Nelson (T, Wisconsin) (signed)

The Jets became known for their inability to find an impact edge rusher following the 2006 John Abraham trade, but the Falcons have been through a worse period attempting to replace their former edge ace. Abraham left as a 2013 free agent, and the Falcons have repeatedly failed to replace him. First-round investments Vic Beasley and Takkarist McKinley were one-contract players, with the team cutting McKinley, while free agent Bud Dupree lasted one season. Other such options did not prove long-term fits, and Judon followed suit as a trade acquisition.

The Falcons were tied to pass rushers in the 2024 first round — having one double-digit sack season since 2013 annually points mocks in this direction — but they chose Penix. That may prove to be the right move long term, but Atlanta ranked 31st in sacks (with 31) last season. The Falcons had tried to trade back into Round 1 for Laiatu Latu last year. That effort provided an interesting prelude to Fontenot’s fifth draft in charge. Pass rushers actually were the team’s focus this year, and one of the offseason’s more hotly debated transactions commenced as a result.

Some Trey Hendrickson groundwork did not produce any strong trade rumors, but the draft — as Arthur Blank pointed to his team, after four straight years of top-10 picks invested on offense, focusing on that side of the ball — became the battleground to upgrade. Connected to both Walker and Georgia teammate Mykel Williams, the Falcons ended up with the former — a prospect viewed as a potential top-10 pick. Walker’s fall prompted Atlanta to act, and the team did not have to trade up for a player it coveted. The Falcons did need to move up for Pearce, and the trade generated tremendous scrutiny.

Climbing from No. 46 to 26 (via the Rams) cost the Falcons their 2026 first-round pick, even though it did send them a Rams third-rounder (No. 101) this year. Only a handful of trade-ups involving future firsts have been made for non-quarterbacks. In fact, only three other teams have traded a future first on draft weekend in deals where the trade-up target was a pass rusher. The Panthers (Everette Brown, 2009), Saints (Marcus Davenport, 2018) and Texans (Will Anderson Jr., 2023) were part of the the club the Falcons joined. They will hope Pierce pans out like Anderson has, though a move involving a No. 26 overall EDGE brings more risk compared to Houston adding Anderson at No. 3.

Word circulated the Falcons were preparing to draft Pierce at No. 15, in the much-rumored scenario in which Walker was off the board. Atlanta ended up with both, refueling its pass rush in one of the most committed efforts to restaff this position in modern draft history. Considering the post-Abraham issues and the team’s Penix pick preventing a high-end pass rushing prospect from coming to town last year, Fontenot’s move makes sense. Though, sacrificing a future first for a non-QB introduces massive risk for a GM who is already 0-for-4 in playoff berths — out of the mediocre NFC South.

Blank allowing Fontenot to do this should draw criticism, but the owner has remained confident in the former Saints exec. Fontenot was in New Orleans when Sean Payton and Mickey Loomis pulled the trigger on trading their 2019 first to move up for Davenport. Without much in the way of accomplishments in Atlanta, Fontenot is effectively putting his job on the line with his latest unexpected first-round maneuver.

While Pierce maturity concerns impacted his fall to 26, Walker was viewed as a clean prospect on this front. The hybrid linebacker, however, suffered a quad strain during the pre-draft process and was mentioned as a candidate to undergo shoulder surgery following the draft. However, Walker avoided the active/NFI list entering training camp and will be expected to start but missed camp time due to a hamstring injury.

Walker spent more time on the edge during his first two seasons at Georgia. His final year with the Bulldogs brought a shift to more of an off-ball role, though he still spent about 40% of his time on the edge. The Falcons are only asking the All-SEC prospect to learn the edge position in Ulbrich’s scheme. Health-permitting, he will be expected to start — alongside either Floyd or Pearce.

Pearce racked up 17.5 sacks across his sophomore and junior years, cementing his status as one of the best speed rushers in the 2025 class. In addition to the maturity component, Pearce’s desire for the game became a talking point during the pre-draft process. The Falcons taking two edges in the first round illustrates how off-course they drifted at the position. The Pearce gamble will stake the Rams to a prime 2026 asset — as a post-Matthew Stafford QB investment may finally be inevitable — while the Falcons will attempt to prove some wrong by developing the gifted pass rusher into a reliable starter.

The Falcons sent the No. 101 pick obtained in the Pearce trade to the Eagles to move up five spots for Watts. The Notre Dame product fell toward the end of the third round despite ranking 54th on Dane Brugler’s The Athletic big board and 63rd on Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com offering. Watts produced a whopping 13 interceptions (for a combined 273 return yards) from 2023-24, helping the Fighting Irish to the CFP title game last season.

Fuller may not provide much resistance in the long run, opening the door to the 2023 Nagurski Award winner (and two-time All-American) being a low-cost Bates complement before too long.

Other:

• Picked up Kirk Cousins‘ $10MM 2026 roster bonus; team has refused QB’s trade aim
• Fired defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake, hired Jeff Ulbrich as replacement
• Exercised WR Drake London‘s $16.82MM fifth-year option
• TE Kyle Pitts came up in trade rumors; no extension on horizon
• Signed 11 UDFAs

Cousins’ second Quarterback season reaffirmed a well-reported annoyance with the Falcons signing him six weeks before drafting his heir apparent. Indicating he did not want to leave Minnesota, Cousins said he would have approached free agency differently had he known his new team planned to draft a quarterback in Round 1. Coming off an Achilles tear ahead of an age-36 season, Cousins did not carry a Tom Brady– or Aaron Rodgers-like profile that would prevent a team from drafting his replacement. (Though giving a player a $100MM practical guarantee and then using a top-10 pick on QB had no close comp.)

The veteran passer did bring an improvement under center in Atlanta — a low bar given their 2022 and ’23 pass-game capabilities — but a woeful stretch in November and December led Morris to benching him earlier than he anticipated. That said, teams almost never sit first-round QBs beyond one season — and most do not keep that genre of passing prospect sidelined for that long. Cousins could see the writing on the wall, and after injuries again affected him last season, he resides in limbo.

A meeting with Blank was aimed at securing a release, and while many around the league viewed Fontenot’s pledge to retain Cousins as a comically high-priced backup as posturing, the team guaranteeing a $10MM 2026 roster bonus backed up Fontenot’s talk. That said, that bonus is subject to offset language; the Falcons could make all or part of this sum another team’s responsibility via trade. An asking price viewed as unreasonable, to the point the Falcons were not believed to be open to taking a Day 3 pick, has dimmed those hopes.

The Falcons also set unrealistic expectations regarding how much money a Cousins trade taker would pay down, at least $20MM of a $27.5MM base salary. After the QB sought a post-draft trade — as to have a clear picture of clubs’ depth charts following last year’s saga — nothing emerged. The Browns and Steelers looked into Cousins, who came up as a Saints option — in what would have been a Donovan McNabb– or Drew Bledsoe-like intra-division trade dump — as well. A brief Vikings connection emerged before the draft, but Minnesota traded for Sam Howell on Day 3.

Cousins surprised some in the Falcons building by reporting for the team’s offseason program and has gone through the motions in training camp. This year’s lot of QB-needy teams certainly viewed Cousins far differently than his 2024 market indicated, but he did sustain a hit to his right arm and shoulder in a Week 10 loss that appeared to have a significant impact on his performance. Prior to that game, he had a TD:INT ratio of 17:7. Cousins also admitted his Achilles was not 100% going into last season, but he is now nearly two years removed from that injury.

Another team observing its starter go down may be what it takes for the Falcons to see a suitable asking price, as they have avoided selling low. That changed the equation for the Vikings (who acquired Sam Bradford) in 2016, while the Raiders acquired Carson Palmer in-season due to a Jason Campbell injury five years earlier. Barring a comparable trade, Cousins is set to see one of his final passable post-prime years be spent backing up a player he reluctantly mentored in 2024.

The first of Fontenot’s skill-position top-10 picks, Pitts carries uncertainty into a contract year despite having not missed a game since his 2022 MCL tear. The former 1,000-yard rookie performer said he was not 100% during the 2023 season, and he sustained a foot injury this offseason. It is believed Pitts is back to full strength after the latter issue, but the Falcons are not eyeing a near-future extension. Based on this stance (and the Falcons rebuffing trade inquiries), it would appear Pitts has an interesting contract-year opportunity ahead.

A quality contract campaign can make the former No. 4 overall pick a sought-after 2026 free agent. The Falcons would appear to have higher extension priorities on offense (London, Bijan Robinson) come 2026, though the Robinson decision can be delayed due to his own fifth-year option. Pitts has strung together back-to-back 600-plus-yard seasons, the first of which being more impressive due to Desmond Ridder‘s involvement, and he is entering an age-25 season. A strong one would introduce the franchise tag as a possibility, even as the 6-foot-6 talent has not quite delivered on his draft slot. He represents a key variable ahead of the 2026 market.

London, 24, is unlikely to approach free agency. The Falcons’ two-pronged QB-upgrade effort did elevate their No. 1 receiver, who had been restrained by the Ridder- and Mariota-piloted attacks. London zoomed from a 905-yard career high entering last season to 1,271, inflating his contract value. The Falcons now have their top receiver contracted through 2026, but another big season and another cap spike would place the USC alum well past $30MM per year on an extension.

It would probably be wise for London to wait and put together another 1,000-yard year before settling on a price point. Then again, his camp can point to how Cousins and Penix elevated him already — in the event extension talks transpire late this summer. But a second 1,200-yard season would do well to boost the big-bodied WR’s stock ahead of a 2026 megadeal that pushes him beyond 2022 classmate Garrett Wilson and perhaps close to, based on another cap boom, Justin Jefferson‘s $35MM-per-annum accord.

Exiting the season, Morris did not give Lake assurances he would be retained for a second year as DC. Morris then fired his former Rams coworker. With Morris’ expertise on defense (save for an interesting four-year run as Falcons receivers coach under Dan Quinn), the Atlanta DC gig carries less importance than Zac Robinson‘s OC post. Lake also did not have too much to work with in 2024, given the pass-rushing situation. But the former controversial Washington Huskies HC was out after the Falcons sank from 11th to 23rd in total defense from 2023-24.

Ulbrich received some consideration, amid a massive search, for the Jets’ HC job after his 12-game stay as the interim leader. But he will drift back down to the DC level after Woody Johnson‘s rushed Robert Saleh firing did not key a turnaround. Also riding shotgun to Saleh on defense in New York, Ulbrich had still held key responsibilities for a Jets team that saw their defense rocket from last place in 2021 to fourth in ’22. Saddled again with Zach Wilson at the helm in 2023, New York still ranked third in yardage (while naturally seeing its PPG standing fall). The Falcons are not set to switch to a 4-3 scheme immediately, with Ulbrich indicating there will be 3-4 elements included as well.

This is a homecoming of sorts for the veteran assistant. Both Morris and Ulbrich were Quinn assistants from 2015-20. Ulbrich was the Falcons’ linebackers coach from 2015-19, overseeing the growth of Deion Jones and De’Vondre Campbell. When Morris replaced Quinn in the interim, he made Ulbrich the interim DC. That led him to the Jets, but the former LB has spent more coaching time in Georgia by comparison. Ulbrich, 48, will bring more NFL experience than Lake.

Top 10 cap charges for 2025:

1. Kirk Cousins, QB: $40MM
2. Jessie Bates, S: $22.25MM
3. David Onyemata, DL: $16.93MM
4. Kaleb McGary, RT: $16.5MM
5. Darnell Mooney, WR: $14.48MM
6. Jake Matthews, LT: $13.27MM
7. Chris Lindstrom, G: $12.25MM
8. Kyle Pitts, TE: $10.88MM
9. Leonard Floyd, OLB: $10MM
10. AJ Terrell, CB: $9MM

Blank backed Fontenot despite an 0-for-4 start in playoff appearances. This came after Fontenot played a central role in Bill Belichick not landing the HC job. Having seen Fontenot trade the Falcons’ 2026 first-rounder, Blank may have a cooler temperature on his GM’s seat than his resume warrants. If nothing else, the money Fontenot gave his team’s current QB2 has prevented roster improvements elsewhere. That will only make Penix’s job more difficult, even in one of the NFL’s worst divisions.

The Falcons have not made the playoffs since 2017. That drought matches the Panthers’ for the NFL’s second-longest. They will hope a Penix leap justifies a convoluted 2024 plan and that the pass-rushing augmentations made in 2025 can finally push the team back into the postseason.