Three Atlanta Falcons were recognized as top free agents. How badly should we fight to keep them?
With the 2025 off-season approaching rapidly, the eyes of 30 of the 32 franchises are on the free agency market. Pro Football Network’s Ben Rolfe ranked the top 100 free agents as the NFL is one game away from concluding the 2024 season.
As the Atlanta Falcons approach what we hope is the true first offseason of the Michael Penix era, 30 players are set to hit the free-agent market, according to OverTheCap.com. Of those 30 names, Rolfe recognized three as part of the top 100 names for teams and fans to acknowledge in this cycle.
We look at Rolfe’s analysis of each of these names and their projected valuations. With that, we’ll decide whether the Falcons should fight to get them to stay or if they should split.
35) Drew Dalman
Drew Dalman missed eight games on injured reserve with an ankle injury in 2024, but otherwise has started all 40 games he’s played the last two seasons at center for the Falcons. Dalman returned for the final six games of the season, indicating he shouldn’t have any limitations for 2025.
When he did play, Dalman had his best season in pass protection. He allowed a career-best 3.7% pressure rate, a big improvement from his 5.7% pressure rate allowed in his first three seasons. He did commit three holding penalties after having none in 14 games in 2023, though that still represented an improvement from his five holding penalties in 2022.
One of the biggest names along the offensive line in this year’s cycle is Falcons center Drew Dalman. Dalman and that Falcons offensive line ranked seventh in EPA/rush and first in rushing success rate. Dalman and his 78.8 offensive PFF grade ranked fourth among centers. His one hit allowed and seven hurries allowed ranked him in the top 15 in both categories, while maintaining the fifth-best run-blocking grade (79.8) among centers.
For the Falcons, the problem lies with the contract he may garner due to prior contracts at the center position, most notably Tyler Biadasz of the Washington Commanders. Biadasz signed a three-year, $30 million contract and was one of the focal points of the Commanders’ resurgence.
What Biadasz had that Dalman doesn’t is a pro-bowl nod, which will knock his value down a bit, but he should still be in the Andre James, Aaron Brewer level of extension, who got $8 million and $7 million, respectively.
Atlanta will have some money to move, but keeping this offensive line core together should be a top priority for them, including ponying up for Dalman. One of the best assets for a young quarterback is a smart, experienced center to help make sure he stays upright.
Projected Valuation: Three-year, $24 million, $15 million guaranteed
Stay or Split: Stay
48) Ryan Neuzil
An interior line backup over his first three seasons, Neuzil started eight games in 2024, more than his first three seasons combined (four). All eight of those starts came at center, with regular Falcons starter Drew Dalman missing time on injured reserve.
In 2024, he allowed only one sack along with a 3.1% pressure rate. That was the 10th-lowest pressure rate allowed by centers with at least 300 pass-blocking snaps. Neuzil has only been a center in the NFL but was a Sun Belt All-Conference left guard at Appalachian State.
Neuzil had more snaps than Dalman last season, and while he didn’t have the season Dalman did, he did perform admirably for a backup center. Neuzil allowed the same amount of total pressures (10) and only one sack in his eight starts this season.
One of the great things about having two starting-caliber centers is that when one goes down, another is waiting in the wings. The downside is that tough decisions must be made when it’s time for both of them to hit free agency at the same time. With Dalman being a shoo-in to come back, and at a higher price than his current $3.3 million price tag, there may be questions about whether ponying up for Neuzil and Dalman would be worth it.
As long as someone with a need on the interior doesn’t overpay for Neuzil in the off-season, he should be back for Atlanta at a modest price. However, with the interior offensive line market looking slim in both free agency and in the draft, that is not a guarantee.
Projected Valuation: Two-year, $8 million, $5 million guaranteed
Split or Stay: Stay
99) Justin Simmons
Despite spectacular ball production, Justin Simmons was one of the more curious, unsigned free agents late in the 2024 offseason. However, it appears front offices may have sniffed out a decline in the 31-year-old, who failed to make a Pro Bowl or All-Pro team for the first time since 2018.
Simmons still had two interceptions with the Falcons and multiple picks in all nine of his NFL seasons. His 32 career interceptions are the most by any player since 2016.
However, he is quite positionally limited, with 80% of his snaps coming as a deep safety this season. That doesn’t make Simmons a fit for schemes that require interchangeable safeties, limiting his universe of potential teams. Given how long it took for him to sign last offseason and the fact that he’s only getting older, this offseason could be another long wait for a contract.
The acquisitions of Justin Simmons and Matthew Judon were two of the more prominent examples of the dysfunction that was the 2024 Falcons defense. Jimmy Lake lost his dream job as an NFL defensive coordinator due to the lack of identity on that side of the ball.
In a season where the Falcons had playoff aspirations, the Falcons defense ended 29th in EPA/play, 31st in quarterback pressure percentage, 24th in missed tackles and 26th in yards after contact over expected.
Atlanta was supposed to be a defense that worked from back to front, playing solid coverage to allow the front more opportunities to get to the quarterback. Instead, the Falcons end 29th in EPA/pass allowed and passer rating allowed.
Simmons’ decline in play and his inability to be versatile in the back end (his 689 snaps aligned at FS are the most in his career) kept the defense predictable and uninteresting.
After a down year, more or less plagued by a horrid defensive structure, Simmons will have to find his next payday elsewhere and hope he can have a resurgence of sorts.
Projected Valuation: One year, $7 million, $7 million guaranteed
Stay or Split: Split