Falcons Should Sign OT Kaleb McGary to Extension, Says PFF

Kaleb McGary had a career year for the Atlanta Falcons this past season. Will the team re-sign him?

Jeremy Brener | Jan 17, 2023

The Atlanta Falcons have some big decisions when free agency comes this March, and arguably the most important comes with offensive lineman Kaleb McGary.

McGary, 28, is due to hit free agency this spring after the team declined his fifth-year option. As a first-round pick, McGary failed to live up to the high expectations placed upon him until this past season.

McGary had a career year per Pro Football Focus, finishing with an overall grade of 86.6 while starring as a run blocker, posting a grade of 91.6. He did have some troubles in pass protection, standing at 66.9 while allowing six sacks and being called for five penalties - but it was nonetheless a strong campaign.

PFF identifies McGary as the offensive player the Falcons should pursue in free agency this offseason.

"McGary’s 91.6 run-blocking grade ranked second among tackles, trailing only San Francisco 49ers great Trent Williams, with 19.7% of his run-blocking snaps earning a positive grade, also second," PFF writes. "McGary has clearly benefited from head coach Arthur Smith’s run-heavy offense, but he also managed a career-high 66.9 pass-blocking grade, and Atlanta should continue to invest in his growth. Whether it’s Desmond Ridder or another quarterback under center, an offensive line anchored by left tackle Jake Matthews, guard Chris Lindstrom and McGary is a good way to help a young signal-caller along in their development."

Should McGary leave, a big hole in the offensive line is created, and the Falcons may have to fill it in the draft. Atlanta will want to give itself as much flexibility with that eighth overall pick to possibly take a defensive lineman or another playmaker like running back Bijan Robinson, so re-signing McGary should be a key item on the Falcons' to-do list this offseason.

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Published Jan 17, 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.