Three offseason moves the Falcons must make
Atlanta Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell.
The Atlanta Falcons begin organized team activities (OTAs) on Monday, and the team still has some roster moves to make.
Here are three moves Atlanta should consider with its offseason workout program just around the corner.
Extend cornerback A.J. Terrell
The former Clemson Tiger has held the team’s No. 1 corner position since being drafted in 2020 and is entering the fifth-year of his rookie contract. Per Stathead, since his first year in the league, Terrell has the seventh-lowest completion percentage allowed (57.8 percent) among corners targeted at least 300 times.
Terrell could walk as a free agent following the season if the Falcons are unable to workout a long-term extension or if they decline to use the franchise tag on him. That would be almost as big of a mistake as reaching for a quarterback in the first round when you already have a starter for the next four years on your roster, but we digress.
When making the Michael Penix Jr. selection last month, general manager Terry Fontenot explained it by saying the Falcons wouldn’t be in a position to draft a quarterback in the top 10 for the next few seasons. That same logic applies to other positions, meaning if Fontenot is right and the Falcons draft in the 20s next year, they can’t count on being in a spot to select a corner with as much upside as Terrell for the foreseeable future.
That should make extending him Priority No. 1 for the remainder of the offseason.
Re-sign EDGES Calais Campbell, Bud Dupree
With little to show in the way of improvement at edge-rusher, Atlanta must bring back Campbell and Dupree. They tied for a team-high in sacks (6.5) last season and combined for 80 total quarterback pressures, according to Pro Football Focus. Arnold Ebiketie, the team’s second-round pick in 2022, showed flashes of being a meaningful contributor a season ago, but the Falcons could still use the two aging veterans to improve the team’s unimpressive depth at the position.
Sign strong safety Jamal Adams
Another way the Falcons can improve their pass rush is by adding Adams, who has proven to be great at generating pressure when given the opportunity. With free safety Jessie Bates III roaming the back end of the defense, Adams could play closer to the line of scrimmage, where he can still be a valuable asset. In March, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell listed the Falcons as Adams’ best fit and wrote that the seven-year safety “could push…for a starting role and offer an oft-moribund Falcons pass rush some extra juice as a blitzer.”
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