Should Atlanta Falcons Sign Carolina Panthers' Brian Burns in Free Agency?

The Atlanta Falcons are once again projected to have a lot of cap space to use in the upcoming offseason.

The Atlanta Falcons are underperforming through the first 10 games of the season. They currently sit at 4-6 after opening the year 2-0 for the first time since 2017, as the Falcons have lost six of their last eight games despite spending big in free agency over the offseason. 

This leads to the question of what are the Falcons missing? Quarterback is at the top of fans' minds as the Falcons have entered the bye week with further controversy brewing following Sunday's 25-23 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Yet, the edge rusher is likely close behind quarterback on the list of priority needs.

Combining the need for a proven pass-rusher with the fact that the Falcons are set to have $50.7 million in cap space this offseason, per projections from OverTheCap, the impending contract status of Carolina Panthers edge rusher Brian Burns could be something to watch closely.

Oct 29, 2020; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers defensive end Brian Burns (53) closes in on Atlanta Falcons running back Brian Hill (23) during the second half at Bank of America Stadium.  / Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

"Burns has five sacks this season after posting 12.5 in 2022, and his pass rush win rate of 27.3% would rank third in the NFL if he qualified," ESPN writes in a recent article ranking upcoming free agency class. "He's just now entering his prime playing years, too. Burns has the high-end edge rushing traits, including the speed, explosive power and lower-body flexibility to consistently create pocket disruption."

Burns, 25, has yet to sign a long-term extension with the Panthers despite being one of their star players defensively. Since being taken in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, the former Florida State Seminole has quickly developed into one of the top young edge rushers in the league, totaling 42 sacks in 70 games since entering the league as a first-round pick.

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If that's not impressive, maybe he generated 68 total pressures last season, which ranked him ninth-best among edge rushers, according to Pro Football Focus, and converting those into 10 sacks is. So far this season, Burns has produced 10 hurries and six sacks in eight games.

If Burns makes it to free agency, he could become an ideal target for the Falcons, who with over $50 million projected cap space this coming offseason, could make a deal happen.