3. Lorenzo Carter
Can someone please explain why Carter wasn't an offseason cut a season ago? Cutting the veteran pass rusher was the most obvious move of the 2024 offseason and the team still opted to allow the veteran to return. Carter's production has never been great in Atlanta but it fell off a cliff during the 2024 season.
Despite playing in double-digit games and consistently being on the field when healthy, Carter finished with a grand total of zero sacks. Not only did the pass rusher fail to get to the quarterback one time, but there was major regression in his ability to defend the run and set the edge. This was the one selling point of Carter, who has never been a great pass rusher.
The thought was even if he wasn't getting to the quarterback, he would play the run at a high level and set the edge. Carter's regression was alarming even when factoring in the new defense the Falcons were running. The lack of ability to do the basic should have taken the veteran off the field and makes this an easy offseason choice. It is time for the Falcons to move on and attempt to find a more capable option.