Underpriced Free Agents Atlanta Falcons Should Target

With limited salary cap availability and fewer draft picks, the Atlanta Falcons will have to get creative to fill their holes on defense.

Terry Fontenot faces arguably his toughest year as general manager of the Atlanta Falcons, limited resources and high expectations. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Atlanta Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot enters his fifth, and arguably toughest, offseason with the club.

When Fontenot took over prior to the 2021 season, the Falcons were old and expensive. It was understood a massive rebuild was going to be needed. Through years of prior mismanagement of the salary cap, Fontenot and head coach Arthur Smith had very little resources outside of the draft in order to overhaul the roster.

Expectations were low.

After two years of navigating cap hell, the Falcons spent big in the offseason, and Fontenot had the Midas touch. Nearly every free agent the Falcon signed prior to the 2023 season was a hit. Jessie Bates, Calais Campbell, David Onyemata, Bud Dupree, and Kaden Elliss all played important roles for the team.

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However, as Fontenot enters his fifth year, he finds himself in an unfamiliar position. The Falcons have playoff expectations, and he's low on resources. The Falcons are currently ranked 28th in available cap space at -$9.5 million according to Spotrac.

They have the potential to make several moves to clear up space, but so do most teams. They'll find themselves without the ability to outbid most of their competitors for plug and play starters in free agency.

Kevin Patra of NFL.com put together a list of five players he thinks will be underpriced on the free agent market - the type of player Fontenot needs to root out for his 2025 defense. Several of them would be upgrades and should be targets when the contact period opens for free agency on March 10th at Noon.

Patra mentions edge rusher Baron Browning, a former Denver Broncos draft pick who was traded to the Arizona Cardinals at the deadline last year.

"With increased opportunity, the former third-round pick upped his production, generating 21 of his 29 QB pressures last year in the desert, per Next Gen Stats," wrote Patra on NFL.com. "For the season, Browning earned a solid 14.1 quarterback pressure rate.

"From Weeks 10-18, that rate jumped to 15.9 percent, the 14th-best mark among edges with at least 100 pass rushes over that span. That figure is sandwiched between Brian Burns (16.2%) and Myles Garrett (15.8%). I am not suggesting Browning is of that ilk; rather, that data point suggests there is a lot more meat on the bone for the Ohio State product.

This isn't the first, nor will it be the last time Browning has been linked with the Falcons. Atlanta will need at least two edge rushers this offseason with Arnold Ebiketie and Bralen Trice being the only two under contract.

Pro Football Focus (PFF) considered Browning to be the dream offseason signing for the Falcons. While that might be overstating things, getting Browning for the right price to bolster the room would be an excellent move.

Safety is also a concern for the Falcons with Justin Simmons scheduled to hit free agency next month. Patra thinks Raiders safety Tre'von Moehrig should be getting more buzz than he has so far.

"He's generated five INTs, 18 passes defended and three sacks since the beginning of the 2023 campaign," Patra said of Moehrig. "At 25, he's the type of still-growing, multi-talented safety teams should want in their secondary."

Moehrig was taken by the Raiders in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft, three picks after the Falcons selected Richie Grant at No. 40 overall. Grant could have trouble making a 53-man roster in 2025 and will need to work his way up from a practice squad.

The Falcons also need help at linebacker. Kaden Elliss has established himself as one of the better linebackers in the NFL, but Troy Andersen can't stay on the field and Nate Landman and JD Bertrand lack the physical traits to be impact players on the NFL level.

49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw was injured in the Super Bowl after the 2023 season which claimed most of his 2024. Patra believes a team could get the 27-year old on the cheap while he proves he's healthy.

"A short-term agreement is probably smart for all parties, allowing Greenlaw to hit the market again next year while keeping his team safe in case he can't bounce back," wrote Patra. "But I'm betting he does; I'm betting on the difference-maker Greenlaw previously proved to be on the gridiron."

A low-risk, high reward type is exactly what the Atlanta Falcons need this offseason.

It's accepted that the Atlanta Falcons underachieved in 2024 with their 8-9 record. It already cost defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake and quarterback Kirk Cousins their jobs. The Falcons offense looks to be in good hands with a bright-young quarterback, talented playmakers, and a solid offensive line.

Most of their limited-offseason resources should be poured into the defense. Fontenot and the Falcons will need to find value on the free agent market and hit on their first and second-round draft picks. They can sell the opportunity to be a key player on a defense for a team with playoff aspirations.

That sales pitch could work well on hungry, underpriced free agents who themselves have something to prove.

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