Atlanta Falcons: 15 best free agent acquisitions of all-time
By John Buhler
The Atlanta Falcons have made some great moves in free agency in recent years. Here are the 15 greatest free agent acquisitions in franchise history.
The Atlanta Falcons have been around for over half a century. Yet, they are still awaiting their first Lombardi Trophy. The Falcons came about as close as a team could get back in 2016, but 28-3 is an ever-present reminder of the one that got away.
Regardless, Atlanta should be pretty good heading into the 2019 NFL season. After stumbling to 7-9 in 2018, look for the Falcons to be healthy once more and contend for a division crown. Yes, Atlanta has drafted well under general manager Thomas Dimitroff’s guidance. The Falcons have also made a few nice trades over the years, as well as occasionally dabble in free agency.
Dimitroff typically prefers to build his team through the draft, often moving up in the first round to get his guy. Usually, the Falcons aren’t the most active of teams in free agency. However, the Dirty Birds have hit more often than not when targeting the right free agent.
So what we’re going to do today is rank the 15 best free agent acquisitions ever made in Falcons franchise history. You will find that all these have occurred in the salary cap era (1993-present), but most happened before Dimitroff left the New England Patriots front office for Atlanta’s in 2008.
Before we begin, it should be noted that undrafted free agents will not be included on this all-time list, as Atlanta has had plenty of great players come aboard after having previous NFL experience with another team.
If we were to include undrafted free agents, one could argue that Falcons Ring of Honor linebacker Jessie Tuggle would have the top spot. Without further ado, here are the 15 best free agent signings in the history of Falcons football.