The Atlanta Falcons hit a home run with their decision to hire Ian Cunningham to be their new GM. The Georgia native was instrumental in the Chicago Bears' rebuild that saw them have their best season in years, and now he has the luxury of inheriting a very talented roster alongside Matt Ryan.
The Falcons' new regime is officially complete, as Ryan, Kevin Stefanski, and Cunningham are tasked with picking up the pieces and helping Atlanta break their playoff drought. He'll have his work cut out for him as a first-time general manager, but the new leadership's shared vision is a massive benefit.
The Dirty Birds are well aware they're gonna have to make some changes to this roster this offseason, which includes cutting players to shed salary and restructuring contracts to keep players like Drake London and Bijan Robinson around long-term, but they also need to take some big swings.
The Falcons are going to have to add some big names from Cunningham's past in Chicago, so signing or trading for these five players make the most sense.
Keep an eye out for these five players to follow Ian Cunningham from Chicago to Atlanta
WR D.J. Moore
This feels like a bit of a pipe dream, but D.J. Moore would be the perfect complement to Drake London in Atlanta. The veteran receiver has been floated in trade talks for weeks now since Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III are the future of their receiver room, so Moore has become expendable.
Despite a brutal blunder in the playoffs, the veteran receiver has logged four 1,000-yard seasons and has been one of the more underrated receivers in football in recent years. He would be expensive to acquire (from both a draft pick and financial perspective), but would be a great add if talks work out.
S C.J. Gardner-Johnson
I struggled between placing Jaquan Brisker and Gardner-Johnson in this spot, but I leaned toward Ceedy Deuce. Between Kevin Byard, Brisker, and Gardner-Johnson, I would expect one of them to end up in Atlanta next season, but the player who plays both CB and safety makes the most sense.
Jeff Ulbrich's defense is in desperate need of experienced DB help alongside A.J. Terrell and Jessie Bates, and Gardner-Johnson fits the bill. Billy Bowman Jr. is rehabbing an Achilles tear and Dee Alford is a free agent, so cornerback is a position where the Falcons are going to have to get aggressive.
Most Falcons fans remember the Florida alum as the villain of the NFC South from his time with the Saints, but he could have a full-circle moment by following Cunningham to Atlanta to antagonize his old team.
TE Cole Kmet
Cole Kmet is an interesting case study, especially since this may only happen if Kyle Pitts isn't franchise tagged and the new brass lets him leave in free agency, which seems unlikely. But even if he stays, Stefanski's scheme often involves a 2-TE set, so there is a real role for Kmet in Atlanta.
The Bears' new tight end of the future is first-round rookie Colston Loveland, so the Notre Dame product has no future in Chicago. This means the Falcons could swing a deal if he's cheap enough, or see him as a short-term replacement for Pitts if he leaves in free agency in a few weeks from now.
CB Nahshon Wright
On the topic of secondary help, Nahshon Wright is a name Falcons fans should get accustomed to hearing. He had a massive breakout season in Chicago that saw him lead the NFL with eight takeaways, including five interceptions, and was named to his first career Pro Bowl this season.
The price tag would be a bit rich, but he would be the perfect replacement for Mike Hughes opposite Terrell. The other option here would be to swing a low-risk trade for 2023 second-rounder Tyrique Stevenson, but Wright is the playmaker the burgeoning Atlanta secondary needs to keep improving.
WR/KR Devin Duvernay
It goes without saying that the Falcons' special teams were a complete and utter nightmare in 2025. Jamal Agnew and Ray-Ray McCloud were both cut midseason and Deven Thompkins was solid afterwards, but it's become clear he's not the long-term return man this team has been searching for.
Under new special teams coordinator Craig Aukerman, the Falcons' special teams unit will undergo sweeping changes, so signing an All-Pro return man like Duvernay could alter those fortunes overnight, even if it isn't a glamorous move.