Atlanta Falcons' 2023 season: 7-10, missed playoffs
Overview: The 2023 Falcons offseason was most notable for their refusal to entertain courting Lamar Jackson, who was in a contract standoff with the Baltimore Ravens. Oops.
Will the 2024 offseason be most notable for the Falcons passing on hiring legend Bill Belichick in favor of Raheem Morris as head coach?
The Falcons were eliminated from playoff contention on the last day of the regular season as they were unable to capture the extremely winnable NFC South. That cost head coach Arthur Smith his job, as management believed the team was equipped to be in the postseason, particularly offensively with young stars in the making in Bijan Robinson, Drake London and Kyle Pitts.
Enter Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot, whose top task will be finding the right quarterback if indeed Desmond Ridder isn't the answer. Yep, it's the NFL, so it's all about the QB.
Key free agents
DE Calais CampbellRB Cordarrelle PattersonEDGE Bud DupreeCB Jeff OkudahWR Van Jefferson
Who's in/out: GM Terry Fontenot told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he wants Campbell, 37, to return but a new coaching regime might have the defensive standout looking elsewhere to finish his career. There might not be enough carries for Patterson (50 rushing attempts this season) with Robinson and Tyler Allgeier anchoring the backfield. Okudah is likely another exit candidate after not living up to his high draft pick potential after getting dealt out of Detroit. Dupree said he'd consider returning after his one-year deal, The Athletic reported. The same can be said of Jefferson, who could reunite with OC Zac Robinson, his former coach with the Los Angeles Rams.
Key free agent needs
QuarterbackEdge rusherSecondary
Why the holes? The Falcons took a shot at Ridder becoming a third-round steal at QB. "Meh" might best describe his ceiling after 17 starts over two seasons. Defensively, Atlanta might look to upgrade a line whose top two producers — Campbell and Dupree — totaled 13 sacks. The Falcons finished 21st in the league in sacks with 42 overall. As for the secondary, the Falcons took a low-risk gamble in trading for Okudah and didn't get much flash on their return for the former No. 3 overall draft pick. It would be a surprise if he returned on a new deal.
Do they have the money?
The Falcons have $29.9 million in salary-cap space, according to Spotrac. We’ll see how much of that goes to a quarterback.
Potential notable cuts
TE Jonnu SmithQB Taylor Heinicke
Why they might be gone: Cutting Smith would save the Falcons $6.5 million in cap space. He also might not fit into Robinson's scheme. As for Heinicke, with the QB job ripe to be seized, he looked unimpressive in four starts this past season. He's scheduled to count $8.5 million against the cap, according to Spotrac, which might be too pricey for someone who doesn't factor into the Falcons' QB future, even as a backup.
Draft picks
1st round: No. 82nd round: No. 433rd round: No. 743rd round (from Jaguars)4th round5th round6th round (from Browns)
Good draft fit
Dallas Turner, EDGE, Alabama
Why them? Turner is a frontrunner to be one of the first defensive players to come off the board. Perhaps Morris, lauded for his work as a defensive coordinator before landing the Falcons' head-coaching job, will look to go defense first with the eighth overall draft selection. In his draft analysis of Turner for Yahoo Sports, Nate Tice wrote: "Turner can create pressure as a pocket pusher or with his athleticism, and he is still improving his pass-rush tool set. He is a positive-play generator against the run or pass, and will fit into any defensive scheme with his flexibility as a player, even opening possibilities as a spy or coverage player."
What can move the fantasy football needle this offseason?
The Falcons have thrown major draft capital at the offensive skill spots, specifically Pitts, Robinson and London. But for this offense to sing, there needs to be an upgrade at quarterback. Ridder does not look like a long-term answer. The Falcons will probably be aggressive in the draft searching for a new QB, and perhaps they'll dance with a free agent before then. If the Falcons find a hit under center, the rest of the offense has enormous upside. — Scott Pianowski
