With Raheem Morris and Zac Robinson only a year removed from the Rams, they might be tempted to bring aboard some familiar faces.
The Atlanta Falcons did not import Los Angeles Rams in free agency last year, a mild surprise given that Raheem Morris and Zac Robinson both came over from the Rams last year as part of a new-look Falcons coaching staff.
That could change in 2025, given who is available for the Rams and the fact that the team already signed former Rams tight end Nikola Kalinic to a reserve/futures deal this calendar year. Given that Morris and Robinson will still have substantial input into this roster—the addition of Jeff Ulbrich as defensive coordinator doesn’t change that—I thought I’d take a quick look at who might be departing Los Angeles and why they could land in Atlanta.
WR DeMarcus Robinson
If the Falcons want to upgrade their receiving corps in a way that gives them flexibility to move Drake London and/or Darnell Mooney into the slot more often while bumping Ray-Ray McCloud to an excellent fourth receiver, Robinson would have to be under consideration.
Robinson was a quality deep threat last year for the Rams, pulling in 35 receptions for 602 yards, and has a history of quality pass protection when called upon to do so. He played about a fourth of his snaps out of the slot last year and has played out wide a lot in his career, and while he’s on the older side and doesn’t have eye-popping numbers, that would make him a relatively affordable addition to the receiving corps. The versatility and quality work deep would give this receiving corps a boost, even if Robinson would likely be no better than the third option in this passing game, and Zac Robinson knows him from shared time with the Rams in 2023.
DL Michael Hoecht
Hoecht chiefly lines up outside, but at close to 270 pounds, he can move around a bit and be effective. He generates modest sack totals—6 under Raheem Morris in 2023, 3 last year—but generates a solid, consistent amount of pressure, plays quality run defense, and is a disciplined player who has been called for just two penalties in 34 games over the past two seasons.
If Jeff Ulbrich likes his fit with the defense—and if Morris wants him in Atlanta—Hoecht would be a relatively affordable addition to a defensive line starved for more help. At 28 years old and with relatively few NFL miles on him, Hoecht would make a lot of sense for the Falcons on something like a three year deal, serving as a rotational piece who can play a major role if called upon to do so.
CB Ahkello Witherspoon
It was a mild surprise to not see Witherspoon land with the Falcons last year, to be frank. A proven quality starter, Witherspoon appeared in 13 games last year for Los Angeles and started five a year after locking down a starting spot in all 17 games. He was customarily solid in coverage and offers the willingness in run support and the ability to play close to the line of scrimmage when called upon that the Falcons could use, either as a direct replacement for Mike Hughes or (if he’ll sign on as a backup) an upgrade over what the team got from the likes of Kevin King, Clark Phillips, and Antonio Hamilton in 2024.
WR Tutu Atwell
If the Falcons aren’t interested in Robinson or Robinson’s price point, Atwell would likely come a little bit cheaper and offer speed and versatility to the receiving room. Atwell does have a brief history of returning both kicks and punts the Falcons could re-visit and has dabbled as a runner, but primarily you’re signing him because he can beat defenders deep with his speed and is a very useful option if you can design well-blocked screens. Atwell has also played both in the slot and outside during his time with the Rams, and obviously knows Robinson after the two shared time in Los Angeles over Atwell’s first three seasons in the league.
The major knocks on Atwell are that he doesn’t play much in the way of special teams—just a tiny number of snaps since his rookie season, really—and he’s tiny by NFL standards and just a modest after the catch threat throughout his career. If the Falcons are looking to sign a player who offers something approximating Rondale Moore’s skill set after they unfortunately lost him to injury last year, Atwell could fit the bill.
DL Bobby Brown III
Essentially an affordable, reliable depth option on the interior of the defensive line, Brown worked with Raheem Morris for three seasons while the Falcons’ head coach was the Rams’ defensive coordinator. Brown only offers you a little bit of help as a pass rusher, but he’s a strong, capable run defender who can occupy blockers and is an extremely reliable tackler who has just three penalties to his name in his entire NFL career.
If the team is looking to upgrade their defensive interior depth with a proven run stopper, Brown would fit the bill at a price point they can probably stomach, so I’d tab him as one of the more likely Rams imports this offseason…assuming the Rams don’t re-sign him before the legal tampering period.
S John Johnson
He’s settled into a reserve role at this stage of his career, but the Falcons are notably lacking in safety depth and Johnson worked with Morris as a solid part-time starter in 2023 who is still capable of holding his own in coverage. With Richie Grant seemingly likely to depart and no clear, proven options down the depth chart besides DeMarcco Hellams (who is returning from injury), Johnson would offer the Falcons familiarity, experience, and a track record at a reasonable price point.
TE Hunter Long
He spent 2023 and 2024 with the Rams and overlapped with Zac Robinson two years ago, and offers quality run blocking and pass protection skills that would make him a fine third tight end option to compete with recent signing Nikola Kalinic. He offers even less as a receiver than Kalinic, but would be a major upgrade on Ross Dwelley as both a blocker and a special teams contributor, as he played 60% of the Rams’ special teams snaps in 17 games last year and chipped in three tackles.