Atlanta Falcons are done in free agency with the draft up next

The Atlanta Falcons made a much bigger splash this offseason than anyone expected them too. The front office did a great job of addressing both need and name recognition.

Do not expect the Atlanta Falcons to do anything else other than fill out their roster with low-level special team’s guys and draft given their allotment in cap space left. According to Field Yates, the Falcons have roughly $7.5 million in cap space left. Only the Patriots and Chiefs have less.

Coming into the free agency period that started in mid-March, the Falcons were not expected to do much given their cap situation. However, quarterback Matt Ryan, left tackle Jake Matthews and defensive end Allen Bailey all restructured their current contracts to help now. By restructuring all three, the Falcons were able to free up cap space now while moving bigger hits in those contracts to subsequent years when the franchise has more space available.

That Atlanta Falcons adding tight end Hayden Hurst, defensive end Donte Fowler, running back Todd Gurley and receiver Laquon Treadwell bolstered depth at four positions and allowed the club to add four former first-round picks to an offense that in a three-receiver set, will feature 11 first-round draft picks; no offense has ever had 10.

Adding all four will be a big high risk-high reward for the Falcons. Fowler is coming off a career year in which reminds a lot of people of the 2016 season that Vic Beasley had. If Fowler can prove he is not a one and done, then this is a brilliant move for the Falcons.

Todd Gurley has the biggest risk as he is a 25-year-old one time MVP candidate who has not had a 100-yard rushing game since Week 13 of the 2018 season. A chronic knee injury has slowed him down and he is anxious to prove that he can be who he was in 2018.

Unlike Fowler, Gurley, and Treadwell, the Atlanta Falcons traded a second-round pick for Hayden Hurst. The one-time elite baseball prospect was buried on the depth chart in Baltimore but will flourish in Atlanta under the guidance of Matt Ryan. Hurst has the potential to be a 1,000-yard receiving tight end and will improve the run game tremendously.

All-in-all, the Atlanta Falcons got better in the 2020 free agency and while they are more than likely done and won’t make another headline, the 2020 Draft is a couple weeks away and the Falcons are looking to add several immediate impact players to help put this team over the top.