The Atlanta Falcons are killing it in the NFL free agency period so far. They’ve made some splashes on the market, kept key players, and even made a big trade. Now, they can round out their offseason by bringing in a few more experienced veterans like Frank Clark and Marcus Peters.
Atlanta came into the 2023 offseason with the second-most cap room in the NFL. And after making several big splashes already, guess what. They still have over $39 million in cap space, the second-most in the NFL right now.
So far, the Falcons have traded for New England Patriots tight end Jonnu Smith, re-signed tackle Kaleb McGary, extended Pro Bowl guard Chris Lindstrom, and signed Falcons free agent targets safety Jessie Bates III from the Cincinnati Bengals and defensive tackle David Onyemata and linebacker Kaden Elliss from the New Orleans Saints defense.
They also brought in former Washington Commanders signal-caller Taylor Heinicke to compete with Desmond Ridder (and maybe a 2023 first-rounder?) to be the starting quarterback.
Following those moves, the Falcons still have plenty of cash to throw around, and there are still excellent free agents available on the market. The defensive side of the ball is particularly deep, so that’s where Atlanta should focus as they try to beef up the squad for next season.
Here are the three best Falcons free-agent targets still available to round out the roster.
CB Marcus Peter, Baltimore Ravens
The Falcons were 26th in the NFL last season in interceptions, with only 10 picks on the season. And no cornerback on the roster had more than one INT.
Atlanta returns starting CBs A.J. Terrell and Casey Hayward from last season, but Hayward will turn 34 around Week 1 next season.
With all the NFL free agency moves from Atlanta on defense already, the things they need are talent, veteran leadership, and ball skills at corner. That’s where Ravens CB Marcus Peters comes in.
Peters isn’t young either. He turned 30 in January. But he is a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro with 32 career interceptions. The Ravens want to keep him, but with the Lamar Jackson drama, players aren’t keen to sign on with the team.
The 2018 first-round pick would look great in black and red, and with Jessie Bates III already signed on in the secondary, the unit would go from one of the worst in the NFL to one of the best almost overnight.
DE Frank Clark, Kansas City Chiefs
Much like interceptions, the Falcons struggled to get sacks as well in 2022. The team’s 21 QB takedowns were second-worst in the NFL last season. And Grady Jarrett, the team’s 305-pound DT was the team’s leading sacker with 6.0.
The team needs more pass rush on the edge next season.
Adding David Onyemata on the inside is a good start. He’ll create a ton of havoc next to Jarrett, freeing up the ends/outside linebackers to have more one-on-one matchups. Also, Kaden Elliss is coming off a career year with 7.0 sacks.
However, in the modern NFL, you can never have enough pass rush. That’s why adding Chiefs sack master Frank Clark should be one of the Falcons' free-agent priorities. Clark gas 58.5 career sacks and more importantly, two Super Bowls.
Frank Clark is another veteran that can come in and immediately make the Falcons defense a true force.
DT Greg Gaines, Los Angeles Rams
As long as we’re rounding out the Atlanta roster, let’s spend the last Falcons free agent spot on this list bringing in another DT.
Yes, the Falcons signed Onyemata, but outside of him and Jarrett, Timothy Horne is the only other DT on the roster right now.
The Rams' Greg Gaines is an excellent rotational DT for the Falcons to sign during this NFL free-agency period. He’s only 26 years old, and he’s improved in the last two years playing next to Aaron Donald. In 2021 and 2022, he put up 8.5 sacks, 19 QB hits, and 10 tackles for a loss.
NFL teams are now realizing how important a push up the middle is. The more a team can get into quarterbacks' faces to make them uncomfortable and get them off their spots, the better. The more pass-rushing defensive tackles you have on the team, the better that is for that type of rush.
With Onyemata and Jarrett already on board, the Falcons may already have the best DT combo in the league. With Gaines coming in, they will definitely have the best three-man rotation. And with Onyemata and Jarrett both 30 when the new season starts, it will be good to inject a little more youth up front as well.
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