NFL Free Agency Grades: Falcons 'Upgraded Significantly'

The Atlanta Falcons have had one of the most successful free agency runs on paper.

Jeremy Brener | Apr 3, 2023

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Atlanta Falcons

Fewer teams have had an offseason better than the Atlanta Falcons.

Holding the second-most cap space in the NFL, the Falcons signed top free agent safety Jessie Bates III and added talent across the unit with linebacker Kaden Elliss, defensive tackle David Onyemata and defensive end Calais Campbell.

On offense, the team made slighter upgrades, bringing in Taylor Heinicke to challenge second-year pro Desmond Ridder for the starting quarterback job and wide receiver Mack Hollins to play alongside Drake London. On top of that, the team traded a seventh-round pick to the New England Patriots for tight end Jonnu Smith, who thrived with head coach Arthur Smith during their time together with the Tennessee Titans.

Given the team's upgrades in free agency, Sports Illustrated awarded the Falcons an "A" in their league-wide grades.

"It was a great March for the Falcons, which upgraded significantly on defense while adding a quality veteran to the quarterback room in Heinicke," SI writes. "While those moves alone won’t get Atlanta to the playoffs, it crystallizes the draft board for general manager Terry Fontenot, who suddenly has far fewer holes to fill."

The Falcons still have cap space to work with and eight picks in this month's NFL Draft, including three in the top 75.

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Published Apr 3, 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.