On the Clock: 2023 Atlanta Falcons

2/16/2023

So it seems like for the first time in a long time that the Atlanta Falcons aren’t in cap jail and trying to find ways out of it. They are behind the Bears when it comes to cap space and could make a legit run if they get some quality pieces in place in a weak NFC South.

2022 Record: 7-10
GM: Terry Fontenot
HC: Arthur Smith
OC: Dave Ragone
DC: Ryan Nielsen

Statistical Leaders:

Offense: 15th Scoring
Marcus Mariota 61.3%, 2219 15-9, 85-438-4
Tyler Allgeier 210-1035-3
Cordarrelle Patterson 144-695-8
Drake London 72-866-4

Defense: 23rd Scoring
Rashaan Evans 159 Tak
AJ Terrel 9 PD
Grady Jarrett 6 Sacks, 12 TFL

Notable Free Agents:

Pos, Name, Age, Contract Status, 2022 Snap Count
Edge - Lorenzo Carter (28), Void, 81.0%
LB - Rashaan Evans (28), UFA, 98.4%
RT - Kaleb McGary (28), UFA, 100%

Draft Picks:

(8) Projected Cost of Rookie Picks in 2023: $11.1m
Round 1 #8
Round 2 #44
Round 3 #75
Round 4 #110
Round 4 #113
Round 5 #161
Round 7 #226
Round 7 #247

Salary Cap:

The Falcons enter the 2023 off-season 56.5m under the salary cap with 58 players currently on their roster. Sure, they still have Marcus Mariota but his 14.5m cap hit for 2023 is hardly going to break the bank for them from that position. That is on par for back-up quarterback pay in the NFL and actually might be a bargain at this point. With Mariota on a cheap deal and Desmond Ridder entering his second season with the Falcons, they don’t “need” to try and get a quarterback but could try to snag one this offseason if they choose to.

Restructure/Re-sign:

Although the Falcons were 23rd in scoring as a defensive unit in 2022, their main piece, linebacker Rashaan Evans, is priority number one in free agency. Amassing 159 tackles, he was all over the field, and a piece that Atlanta can build around both in free agency and the draft. The Falcons still have Cordarrelle Patterson for one more season and rookie Tyler Allgeier showed some promise when Patterson went out, so they could look to add some depth to their offensive line this off-season.

Free Agency/Draft:

Cornerback is a need for the Falcons if they hope to compete in the NFC South in 2023. Some reports have them taking Joey Porter Jr. from Penn State to secure the secondary and bring some physicality to Atlanta’s back end. For once, the Falcons don’t have to trade back and get picks to free up some cap space so if there is a player that falls in the BPA category, they could take them, because they need anyone that can help them at this point.

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