NFL GM Power Rankings: Where's Falcons' Terry Fontenot?

The Atlanta Falcons seem to be on the path to contending for the NFC South division in 2023 thanks in large part to the moves made by general manager Terry Fontenot.

By all standards, the Atlanta Falcons have had a good start to the offseason, with the NFL Draft still yet to come. But it doesn't seem like general manager Terry Fontenot is receiving the plaudits that many would've thought. 

In the latest edition of the NFL general manager power rankings from NFL.com, Atlanta's Fontenot ranked in the bottom five of those who were not considered "too new," which were the regimes who've yet to have two draft classes. 

Fontenot came in at No. 21, above NFC South division rival, the Carolina Panthers' Scott Fitterer. But he was below Mickey Loomis of the New Orleans Saints (No. 14) and Jason Licht of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (No. 17). 

Maybe with the veteran resumes of Licht and Loomis, they deserve to be rated higher than Fontenot, but the gap seems to be much wider than expected. After all, the Falcons look poised to make a run at the division title in Fontenot's third season in charge. 

And as the article notes, the first two years of Fontenot's regime were spent "cleaning up" the mess left behind by the previous front office. Fontenot tore down a team that seemed to be stuck in the middle of making the playoffs and not, with a core of aging veterans on hefty contracts. 

He managed to create over $60 million in cap space this offseason, which he put to good use filling holes on a young roster that came close to winning the NFC South, despite not being expected to in the preseason.  

As discussed with the comparison of Fontenot to his veteran counterparts within the division, maybe the media is waiting to see how his plan plays out. If the Falcons win and make the playoffs while the Buccaneers and Saints falter, then maybe Fontenot gets the plaudits. 

If not... he likely moves down or gets removed from the list altogether if he is truly on the hot seat, like the article seems to suggest.

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