Falcons Interested in Signing Eagles DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson?

Philadelphia Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson is expected to be a free agent this spring. Should the Atlanta Falcons be interested in signing him?

Jeremy Brener | Feb 26, 2023

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Atlanta Falcons

The safety position is expected to be one of the Atlanta Falcons' biggest needs in free agency.

With the second-most cap space of any team in the NFL, the Falcons can target some of the best defensive backs in the league to join the Dirty Birds.

While Cincinnati Bengals safety Jessie Bates III is arguably the best defensive free agent on the market, another top defensive back could be on Atlanta's radar.

Philadelphia Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson flourished with the NFC Champions this season in his first year with the team. He recorded a career-high 67 tackles and six interceptions despite missing five games.

In a contract year, he proved himself, and now the Eagles (who have many free agents to attend to), have to pay up. There's a good chance the Eagles could use the franchise tag on Gardner-Johnson, but if the Eagles don't show Gardner-Johnson the money, maybe the Falcons will.

Gardner-Johnson was on the same unit that new defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen was a staff member on from 2019-21, showing a familiarity there.

So, the need is there, the money is available and the relationship is reasonable. That means the Falcons should be seen as a prime candidate for Gardner-Johnson should he not be tagged by the Eagles.

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Published Feb 26, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.