The Atlanta Falcons need to be risk-takers in free agency

The Atlanta Falcons were expectedly quiet early in the legal tampering period.

The first two days of the legal tampering period have seen a flurry of activity, just not for the Atlanta Falcons. The big news is the restructuring of Matt Ryans’ contract. The move gets the Falcons under the cap.

A few more restructures and contract extensions/renegotiations will give the Falcons the cash they need to make a signing or two.

The only other news out of Flowery Branch so far is the second-round tender placed on swing tackle Matt Gono. The lack of activity shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone who has been following along this off-season. The Falcons cap situation has been well documented for months.

Young, exciting, up-and-coming players were always going to be a long shot for the Atlanta Falcons in 2021. However, that does not mean crickets are all we are going to hear. Once the dust settles a bit the Falcons need to survey the landscape and find risky players that can have rebound seasons.

Players closing in at the end of their careers or coming off injury are prime candidates to fill roles.

While there is the chance they will be slowed by age or suffer additional injuries the potential for rebound seasons makes them interesting and perhaps more importantly, affordable.

Here are a handful of interesting names to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.

Marlon Mack

Mack suffered an Achilles injury in 2020, after such a devastating injury his price tag should be cheap. If he has recovered fully he is a capable runner that can lead the backfield in 2021, especially if the Falcons decide to take a mid to late round back in the draft to take over in the long term.

Trai Turner

Turner is an interesting name at guard. He has five pro bowls under his belt but has had several injury-shortened seasons over his career. While only 27 he should still have some good football left in him, even after a down season in 2020 that saw him grade out as one of the worst guards in the league.

If the Falcons want to spend just a little money Turner may be an affordable option and has major bounce-back potential.

Jurrell Casey

Casey has ties with Dean Pees from Tennessee and may be looking for a reunion. Casey is both 32 and coming off a season-ending bicep tear. If he wants to prove he still has gas in the tank, reuniting with Pees may be his best option to prove his long-term value.

Some of his best years came under the Falcons’ new defensive coordinator.

Bradley McDougal

McDougal could step in as a veteran starter at strong safety. He suffered a shoulder injury in 2020 and is 31 years old but showed enough pre-injury with the Jets to get a starting role. His age and injury history should make him easily affordable for the Falcons.

Ryan Kerrigan

Kerrigan is my personal favorite and long shot this free agency period. Kerrigan saw his playing time dimension in 2020 with the emergence of Chase Young and Montez Sweat. At 32 he won’t demand top-end edge money and should be affordable, especially if the Falcons get creative with incentives. He was an effective rusher last year and would be a great veteran addition.

If you were hoping for the Atlanta Falcons to be a major player early in free agency try not to be too disheartened. While the team isn’t going to toss money around with abandon like the Patriots there will be some moves coming. Maybe some of your favorite veterans will find their way to Atlanta.

Sit back, relax and enjoy having actual news rolling in again!