Why Are Falcons Free Agency Losers? NFL Power Rankings

After the first wave of free agency moves, the Falcons are at the lowly No. 31 spot.

The NFL landscape was drastically altered in March with a flurry of blockbuster transactions on the trade and free agency market. A number of the league's top talent, like Russell Wilson, Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill, found new teams and grabbed headlines.

The Atlanta Falcons big headline-grabbing move is the end of the quarterback Matt Ryan era. Ryan is headed to the Indianapolis Colts, while the Falcons signed Marcus Mariota to a two-year contract to replace him.

A former No. 2 overall NFL Draft selection and Heisman Trophy winner, Mariota will be reunited with head coach Arthur Smith from their time in Tennessee so the offense will be familiar for him. Also notable, Atlanta did brought back Cordarrelle Patterson as its Swiss Army knife at running back. 

Marcus Mariota

Marcus Mariota

Marcus Mariota

Where do the Falcons stack up in Sports Illustrated's Post-Free Agency NFL Power Rankings? After the first wave of free agency moves, the Falcons are at the lowly No. 31 spot.

Selling out for Watson, and then forcing yourself to trade Matt Ryan and supplant him with Marcus Mariota is going to have its consequences. While I don’t hate the Mariota acquisition at all, he didn’t perform well enough in an outside-zone-focused scheme to stave off Ryan Tannehill in Tennessee. What makes us think life will be that much better in Atlanta?

Has the gap between the Falcons and the rest of the tough NFC South opponents narrowed? The Falcons have the worst odds (+1900) to win their division in 2022 as they begin their rebuild. 

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After the Ryan cap hit, Atlanta currently sits 28th in the league in terms of cap space, with just over $4.5 million to spend. The team might use the money to bring in competition for training camp, and focus on the draft for true developmental pieces.

The Falcons look to improve their roster in the NFL Draft. Besides Kyle Pitts, Mariota could use some reliable pass-catchers after Russell Gage departed for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Atlanta could certainly use some help on the offensive line, which ranks among the worst in the league.