Atlanta Falcons have proven NFL free agency isn’t always sexy
NFL free agency is about addressing needs not sexy names. The Atlanta Falcons are addressing areas of need without attracting a lot of attention.
The Atlanta Falcons did not land any big names in free agency and therefore aren’t a sexy pick for any of the media’s off-season awards. However, I would argue that the Falcons were highly successful in their free agency acquisitions.
How can I say this? Simple, they addressed needs in areas that are not traditional sexy positions with guys that are under the radar and quite honestly that is who the Falcons are. When you look across this roster, other than Julio Jones, this roster is filled with guys who are doubted and discounted by everyone, including their own fans.
Falcons came into NFL free agency needing to address the trenches, special teams and the secondary. Obviously, whatever was not addressed in free agency will be addressed in the upcoming NFL draft in just over a month.
Blogging Dirty has stated several times that we thought the Falcons would address the OL issue in free agency and the rest of the list in the NFL draft and that is exactly how this has played out. When you look at where the offense is, the needs and makeup dictated that they bring in veteran offensive lineman. So, they brought in a guy with Superbowl experience and another that has started quite a few games during his career and both are known more for their pass blocking than run blocking.
Signing a journeyman like Kenjon Barner and resigning Justin Hardy shows that Dan Quinn is again putting more resources into special teams. While fans may take this area of football for granted, it’s been proven for decades that special teams can win and lose you championship games. I appreciate what seems to be an attention to detail for Dan Quinn.
dark. Next. Falcons fill need at kick returner with Kenjon Barner
I say all this to simply say, when media outlets put out their free agency rankings and you see the Falcons in the middle of the pack and teams like the Saints near the top, don’t fret, this team seems to be on track and is addressing needs. Not every player is a sexy name and you don’t often see championship teams like New England signing them either.