5 free agents the Atlanta Falcons must keep in 2022

1. Fabian Moreau

This will rustle some feathers. Fabian Moreau drew the ire of Falcons fans the world over in 2021, as he struggled to emulate the elite play from A.J. Terrell opposite him for large stretches of the season.

Every time a huge chunk of yardage was given up, or every time a touchdown was scored against them, Moreau was in the area seemingly every time. It was a less than stellar showing, and one you wouldn’t want to see replicated. So, why’s he here?

Fabian Moreau didn’t have a good 2021. For a lot of the season, he was pretty bad. He gave up over 500 receiving yards over 16 games and committed 11 penalties in that same stretch. But, and this is important, he flashed often enough to suggest he’s better than he showed.

His 11 pass deflections over the course of the season show you that he’s often in the right position. He just so happened to line up against the opposition WR1 more often than not. That’s not easy for anyone, let alone someone who’s spent the majority of their career as depth.

This does not suggest bringing back Moreau to play opposite Terrell again in 2022. Putting him in that situation for a second straight season, especially against the schedule the Falcons have, would be a dereliction of duty. But as a rotational piece? As a CB4 instead of CB2? That’s an ideal situation for both to be in.

The Falcons need to improve in the secondary, but retaining Moreau would provide valuable depth to a thin group.