Veteran defensive back Darnay Holmes will leave Las Vegas after two seasons. The former Giants regular is signing with the Falcons, NFL insider Jordan Schultz tweets. It is a one-year deal.
Working as a role player with the Raiders, Holmes will join Jeff Ulbrich‘s defense as a potential AJ Terrell complementary piece. Contributing mostly as a slot cornerback, Holmes is a six-year NFL veteran with 12 starts on his resume.
The Falcons have an emerging slot presence in second-year cog Billy Bowman, but he is coming off an Achilles tear sustained in late November. That could affect the Oklahoma product’s availability for Week 1. At the very least, Bowman will miss offseason time and potentially begin training camp on the active/PUP list.
Holmes, 27, did not initially join the Raiders until being waived by the Giants in August 2024. He logged 28% and 21% snap shares on defense during his two Vegas seasons. The Raiders’ previous two coaching staffs used Holmes mostly in the slot. The Giants, who gave Holmes a 59% snap share (featuring a career-high 468 slot snaps) during their 2022 playoff season, concurred with that plan.
Atlanta has Mike Hughes and Clark Phillips as tentative options alongside Terrell, though the team’s new regime should be expected to make another notable addition on the perimeter this offseason. Holmes is set to be a slot option while Bowman recovers.
In other Falcons contract news, the team will have its next kicker — Nick Folk — tied to a two-year, $9MM deal, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. Of that total, $4MM is guaranteed. No guaranteed money is in place beyond 2026, giving Atlanta an easier out after Folk’s 42nd birthday. Linebacker Christian Harris will be tied to a one-year, $2.75MM base value on his Atlanta contract, Wilson adds. Of that total, $1.99MM is fully guaranteed.
Linebacker Troy Andersen‘s recent rework will come out to a one-year, $1.22MM deal (via Wilson). The parties reached this agreement after the 2022 second-round pick spent last season on Atlanta’s reserve/PUP list. Edge rusher Cameron Thomas is joining the Falcons on a one-year, $3.1MM pact, Wilson tweets, indicating $1.5MM is fully guaranteed. Defensive tackle LaCale London agreed to join the team on a one-year, $2.75MM accord that includes, per Wilson, $750K guaranteed in the form of a signing bonus.