Atlanta Falcons Free Agency Day One Recap

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The Atlanta Falcons walked into the NFL New Year with over $30 million of cap space money to spend on free agents. While they were expected to be decently big spenders this offseason, the Falcons have not made much of a splash early. Many of the top rated free agents have already moved on, and it seems as if Atlanta is sticking with mostly middle of the pack and slightly above average players, which is the rout that the Atlanta front office has taken in recent years.

The biggest issue for Atlanta last season was on the defensive end, and that is where Atlanta is going to the free agent market to improve. The most notable acquisition is former Houston Texans linebacker Brooks Reed to a five-year $22 million contract. Reed is an above average run-stopper, but has been disappointing as a pass rusher in Houston’s 3-4 scheme. Hopefully a transition from a 3-4 to a 4-3 defense will help Reed. This is a move that Atlanta fans should be excited for.

The other notable signee is former Dallas Cowboy linebacker Justin Durant. Up until Week eight of last season, Durant had been thriving at Dallas. Durant brings great versatility to Dan Quinn’s defense; capable of playing both outside and inside linebacker at a high level. Durant also brings veteran leadership to a very young defensive core.

The Falcons also come to terms with former St. Louis Rams’ guard Mike Person and running back Antoine Smith. Atlanta has also brought in former Tennessee Titans’ edge pass-rusher Derrick Morgan, who went to college at Georgia Tech, and former Washington Redskin’s wide receiver Leonard Hankerson for official visits. Falcons also remain the favorites to sign star linebacker Brian Orakpo, and continue to show interest in names such as Jordan Cameron, former Cleveland Brown’s tight end.

It is worth mentioning that the Falcons are likely to give star wide receiver Julio Jones a max contract extension, which will certainly limit who Atlanta can pursue later on in free agency.