The Atlanta Falcons have been an NFL franchise for more than half a century. A team with that long history has featured some great players along the way, with a number of them acquired via free agency.
There are a few among those that stood out as cream of the crop acquisitions, and made their marks as one of the best players in their franchise's long existence.
Here are the top 5 free agent signings in Atlanta Falcons history.
5. Alex Mack
In March 2016, center Alex Mack signed a five-year, $45 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons.
Mack made three consecutive Pro-Bowls with the Falcons, as well as a second-team All-Pro selection in 2016 and 2017 as he solidified one of the worst offensive lines in the league. Mack is also a part of an offensive line that allowed Matt Ryan to throw for 38 touchdowns with only 7 interceptions in 2016 on his way to an MVP season.
Since signing with the Falcons, Mack has not missed a game, and is still going strong at age 34.
4. Ray Buchanan
The Atlanta Falcons brought in defensive back Ray Buchanan as a free agent acquisition in 1997.
Big Play Ray played for the Falcons for a total of seven productive years. During the stint, Buchanan tallied 375 solo tackles with 8 of them causing loss of yardage and 30 interceptions, ranking at third-best in team history.
Buchanan earned his only Pro-Bowl and All-Pro selections with Atlanta in 1998, when he logged his career second-best 7 interceptions for the season.
3. Matt Bryant
The Atlanta Falcons signed hall of fame kicker Morten Andersen in 1995. Andersen set points records with the Falcons and have been elected in the Pro Football Hall of Fame after his NFL career.
Another free-agent acquisition, kicker Matt Bryant, broke all of Mortensen's records, making him the most prolific kicker in its franchise's history.
Bryant eclipsed Mortensen as the Falcon who scored the most points after converting three extra-point attempts and two field goal attempts in a game against the Green Bay Packers in 2016. In the same year, Bryant made his first and only Pro-Bowl selection.
Bryant played for Atlanta for 10 years, converting 88.7 percent of his field-goal tries and scoring on 36 of 46 tries from beyond 50 yards. Bryant was also clutch for the Falcons, as he made the game-winning field goal against the Seattle Seahawks in 2012 to send Atlanta to their third NFC Championship game.
2. Terance Mathis
Wide receiver Terance Mathis signed with the Atlanta Falcons in 1994. During that season, Mathis set the record for the most receptions for the season by catching 111 passes, making him the eighth player who eclipsed 100 catches in a season. Mathis earned a Pro-Bowl and an All-Pro stint the same year.
Mathis continued to play for Atlanta until his age 34 season. During that span, he tallied 573 receptions with 7,349 yards and 57 touchdowns. With the Falcons, Mathis passed Andre Rison as their all-time leader in receptions and touchdowns, which will be eclipsed by Atlanta sensation Roddy White.
1. Michael Turner
Atlanta signed running back Michael Turner to a six-year, $34.5 million contract. Little did they know, they signed the best free agent in their franchise's history.
In his debut game, Turner broke the Falcons' single-game rushing record by amassing 220 yards with two touchdowns on 22 carries in a game against the Detroit Lions. In November of the same year, Turner scored a career-best four rushing touchdowns against the Carolina Panthers. For the year, he had 17 rushing touchdowns, a franchise season-best, and also ranked second in NFL history for the most touchdowns in a debut season for a new team.
In January 2012, Turner passed All-Pro running back Gerald Riggs for the most rushing touchdowns in franchise history with 60.
Turner earned two Pro-Bowls and make an All-Pro in both the 2008 and 2010 seasons. In his five year tenure, Turner accumulated 6,081 total yards and 60 touchdowns with the Falcons, making him the best free-agent signing in team history.
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