Who comes out of free agency primed for big things, and who might have questions about their role?
The dust is settling around free agency, with the Atlanta Falcons both unlikely to be done with signings and unlikely to make any major splashes before the 2025 NFL Draft.
That makes this a fine time to look at the roster and see who is in basically the same spot they were before free agency, who figures to have an expanded role or at least a very safe one, and who might see their role shrink or step into a pressure cooker situation. Here’s a look at every projected starter on the Falcons and where they fit in that arrow-based matrix with free agency quiet and the draft yet to begin.
Arrow Up
WR Drake London
While he was a major part of the passing game all season, he posted a career high in targets in the final week of the season with Penix throwing him the ball, exploding for 10 catches on 18 targets with 187 yards and two touchdowns. London had 22 of his 100 grabs on the season in the final three weeks of the season, and while Darnell Mooney’s absence at the end of the season turbocharged those tendencies, it’s obvious that the big, sure-handed target who works so well on the sidelines is going to be Penix’s favorite guy to throw to.
That means London’s career year in 2024 is likely just the floor of his 2025 production, assuming good health for all involved, and it’s why his arrow is pointing up.
WR Darnell Mooney
If London is going to be Penix’s favorite, Mooney is going to be the beneficiary of Penix’s ability to touch any part of the field. The speedster managed to thrive even with a limited Kirk Cousins tossing him the ball in 2024, so it’s impossible not to daydream about him strolling into the end zone on some 40-to-50 yard bombs from Penix.
LT Jake Matthews
He got paid, he’s no longer the blind side protector, and he’s aging gracefully as the team’s ever-reliable left tackle and iron man. As the last player left from the team’s 2016 Super Bowl team and a likely future Ring of Honor inductee, Matthews is riding high at the moment, and hopefully will continue to be a quality starter this coming season.
C Ryan Neuzil
At this point, the Falcons are either going to add an early round rookie as an unquestioned starter, or Neuzil is going to face competition for the job. Given their limited draft capital, it appears Neuzil is going to line up for a real shot at starting under center in 2025, which is better than he could have hoped for heading into this offseason.
It will be incumbent on him to prove he can handle that job and handle it well, naturally, but the fact that he has a shot at all bodes well for his chances of doing so.
TE Kyle Pitts
No trade has materialized and the team has not added any genuine competition for Pitts, with Nikola Kalinic and Feleipe Franks set to compete for third tight end duties. With Penix under center and some modest signs of a rapport late in the season, Pitts appears to be locked in as the top pass catching option at tight end, and is still young enough and talented enough to pull his career back from the brink of mediocrity.
Arrow Sideways
QB Michael Penix
The arrow is pointing up in the sense that I expect good things from Penix in his sophomore season, but the Falcons haven’t made any moves that move the needle for the young quarterback. In fact, the offense looks slightly worse after the first big round of free agency.
Why? They lost Drew Dalman, chiefly, which leaves Ryan Neuzil as long as a team doesn’t make an offer the Falcons can’t match. That leaves a hole at center that will need to be patched via the draft or a free agent signing down the line, as Neuzil as the uncontested starter is not something I can fathom the team allowing.
Otherwise, though, the line is pretty set, the weapons are here, and Penix himself is a promising quarterback with the talent to be special. If the Falcons solve for center and potentially add one more quality weapon to the passing game, this arrow will be pointing up post-draft.
LG Matthew Bergeron
Bergeron was much better last year but still well short of an elite player, so he still has plenty to prove in 2025. He’s at minimum a useful starter at left guard who is no longer working on the blind side, but right now nothing indicates we should expect any pullback or a major leap from him.
TE Charlie Woerner
Absolutely nothing about Woerner’s role is going to change. He’s going to be a vital piece of the puzzle for the run game and will very occasionally be asked to make a grab, and will remain a valuable contributor on offense as a result.
Arrow Down
RB Bijan Robinson
In the eight weeks-and-most-of-another-game that Bijan operated without Drew Dalman under center, he hit 90 yards three times. In the eight games he played with Dalman under center, he hit 90 yards seven times. Matchups played a role, of course, but is it a coincidence that the loss of arguably the best run-blocking center in the NFL hurt Bijan’s production? No.
Robinson should still produce as one of the league’s most talented backs, especially with Tyler Allgeier taking more and more of a backseat to him as Robinson’s pass catching and pass protection skills improve. But great blocking is key to him exceeding last year’s excellent production, and the uncertainty at center means at the moment it’s difficult to predict that he’ll exceed that production.
WR Ray-Ray McCloud
Last year, McCloud enjoyed a career year, and thus far the Falcons haven’t made any moves that threaten his position on the depth chart. The fact that he proved to be such a reliable option over the middle of the field means he’ll retain a role.
That said, McCloud set career highs by 23 receptions and over 400 yards, and did so primarily with Kirk Cousins under center, with all the middle of the field, short yardage merchantry that implies. Michael Penix is less likely to lean on that skill set with his cannon arm and Drake London, Darnell Mooney, and Kyle Pitts all capable of serving as capable downfield targets. There’s also the possibility that this team, which is hosting Texas speedster Isaiah Bond on a Top 30 visit, still plans to add competition for McCloud via the draft.
If you add it up, there’s inevitable pullback to come for McCloud in this offense. The good news is that he’s still likely to be a useful player with a sizeable role, regardless.
RT Kaleb McGary
If McGary thrives as the team’s right tackle this season while protecting Penix’s blind side, he could set himself up for a hefty new deal. But heading into a contract year at age 30 and needing to be as sharp as he’s ever been in pass protection with his new responsibilities means that McGary has a lot of pressure on him to be the best version of himself, which is not an outcome we can take for granted given that our last 2024 impression was McGary allowing four hurries and two quarterback hits against a decimated Carolina front.
We’re rooting for him to answer any doubts definitively, but the circumstances suggest until we see him do it, McGary’s arrow should be pointing down given that he’ll have to be terrific in 2025 to avoid being replaced in 2026.