It has been a busy offseason for the Atlanta Falcons, from coaching and general manager changes to nonstop talk about quarterbacks.
Ironically, though, the offseason has consisted of a lot of bargain-bin shopping by Ian Cunningham. He is clearly trying to do what the previous general manager, Terry Fontenot, didn't: build depth.
And with that, there have been many sequences of moves that should be garnering more attention from fans.
Falcons fans should be more excited about these genius offseason moves
1. Moving on from Tyler Allgeier for Brian Robinson Jr.
Everyone would've loved to have had Tyler Allgeier return, but it was never going to happen. The former 1,000-yard rusher moved to the desert on a two-year, $12.25 million contract.
So the Falcons turned their attention to a different physical runner who came with a cheaper price tag -- Brian Robinson Jr. The former Commander and 49er has had an underrated career since coming out of Alabama. In fact, he has three 700-yard seasons in the NFL compared to Allgeier's one.
While there were extenuating circumstances with Allgeier, the Falcons couldn't have made a better pivot at backup running back.
2. Signing Samson Ebukam and Azeez Ojulari
These are two players we should be talking about more; they have shown to be quality edge rushers throughout their NFL careers -- something the Falcons needed more of with the uncertainty around James Pearce Jr.
Last offseason, Nate Ollie talked about his plan to constantly rotate his defensive linemen to keep them fresh. Unfortunately, things didn't play out that way later in the season due to some short-term injuries.
Signing these off-the-edge threats were A+ moves, even if they aren't household names. Ojulari and Ebukam each come with eight-plus-sack potential and the ability to have more line changes.
3. Replacing Kaden Elliss with Christian Harris
Perhaps it is cognitive dissonance, but Cunningham may have made a genius, yet criticized move by letting Kaden Elliss walk (especially since he returned to the Saints) for a relatively unknown player in Christian Harris.
While Elliss will likely be the better all-around player in 2026, Harris can be a surprise contributor, like Divine Deablo was last season. You also cannot overlook that he came from DeMeco Ryans' team, who develops the most tenacious defenders.
4. Signing Nick Folk
Not often can you praise (or even have the opportunity to praise) the signing of a 41-year-old, but that is what I will do.
Last season, the Falcons went through Younghoe Koo, Parker Romo, and Zane Gonzalez. Gonzalez ended up doing a fantastic job, but the Falcons noticed a potential upgrade on the open market in the form of a guy who ruined their playoff hopes, Nick Folk.
Folk has quietly been the league's most accurate kicker with three consecutive years leading the league in FG%. He has also converted on 22 of his 25 attempts of over 50 yards over the past four seasons.