The Falcons need help, especially on defense.
We took a closer look at the large number of impending Atlanta Falcons free agents last week, with Tre’Shon Diaz running down who he believes should stay and go.
That begs the question of who is under contract at the moment, and how close to complete this Falcons roster is. The answer to the first question? Plenty of guys. The answer to the second? Not close at all.
Offense
QB Michael Penix
QB Kirk Cousins
QB Emory Jones
RB Bijan Robinson
RB Tyler Allgeier
RB Jase McClellan
RB Carlos Washington
RB Elijah Dotson
WR Drake London
WR Darnell Mooney
WR Ray-Ray McCloud
WR Casey Washington
WR Chris Blair
WR Makai Polk
WR Phillip Dorsett
WR Dylan Drummond
WR Jesse Matthews
TE Kyle Pitts
TE Charlie Woerner
LT Jake Matthews
RT Kaleb McGary
T Tyrone Wheatley Jr.
LG Matthew Bergeron
RG Chris Lindstrom
G Joey Fisher
C Jovaughn Gwyn
The offense needs less work than the defense, but still has real needs. The Falcons will have to get an experienced backup quarterback if they trade or release Kirk Cousins, could use more proven depth at wide receiver even if Polk, Washington, and Blair have promise, and need a quality third tight end.
The biggest needs loom on the offensive line, where re-signing Ryan Neuzil is both a no-brainer and cheap but Drew Dalman figures to be an expensive multi-year commitment. The team needs to stack depth given their relative good fortune in terms of injury the past couple of seasons; Neuzil and Storm Norton are a good start but hardly a done deal.
The presence of Penix, Bijan, London, and Mooney and having four-fifths of a quality offensive line under contract gives the Falcons a very good start. What they do this offseason to bolster this group with their limited resources will be worth watching.
Defense
DL Grady Jarrett
DL David Onyemata
DL Ruke Orhorhoro
DL Brandon Dorlus
DL Zach Harrison
DL Junior Aho
OLB Arnold Ebiketie
OLB Bralen Trice
OLB DeAngelo Malone
ILB Kaden Elliss
ILB Troy Andersen
ILB JD Bertrand
CB A.J. Terrell
CB Clark Phillips
CB Natrone Brooks
CB Benny Sapp
CB Lamar Jackson
S Jessie Bates
S DeMarcco Hellams
This is rough. The defensive line actually has a solid group under contract, conditional on Ruke, Dorlus, and Harrison continuing to develop, and inside linebacker has two starters and a useful young depth piece under contract. Even in those spots there are needs, but they’re in far better shape than the rest of the roster.
Ebiketie is a quality player, but Trice is coming off a major injury and Malone is far more of an asset on special teams, leaving that group quite thin. Cornerback has Terrell and some young players who could turn into something; I’m still optimistic about Phillips but wouldn’t want him going into the summer as the unquestioned starter. And safety has the great Bates and Hellams, a player I like a lot but is also coming off a major injury.
There are entire position groups that need to be rebuilt this offseason, and as mentioned above, the Falcons have fairly limited resources with which to do so. Free agency will likely once again be an avenue for this team, and re-signing the likes of James Smith-Williams, Mike Hughes, and Justin Simmons would give them a much more competent-looking group. But the Falcons could use an upgrade or compelling depth pretty much everywhere, and a new defensive coordinator will have their work cut out for them to bring that group together and get them playing well.
Special teams
K Younghoe Koo
P Bradley Pinion
You can make a compelling argument for bringing in competition at both kicker and punter, and I expect the Falcons to consider it. Koo is injured, after all, and was struggling before injury became a major factor. Pinion, meanwhile, is fresh off a forgettable season and the Falcons could use insurance in case that’s a sign of a slip to come.
Also, Liam McCullough will almost certainly re-sign after turning in another fine year as the team’s long snapper, so I’d go ahead and pencil him in here.