The Atlanta Falcons' free agent class has been met with mixed reviews thus far, because of Ian Cunningham's unwillingness to make splash moves or keep key free agents, but his first offseason as GM has went swimmingly. Let's clear up a common misconception: just because the Falcons haven't been heavy spenders doesn't mean that they haven't made some impactful moves in free agency.
While ESPN's Ben Solak was ranking every NFL team's free agent class, his placement for the Falcons might come as a surprise to some. Solak ranked Atlanta's free agency in 15th place, mainly because of the Tua Tagovailoa signing, but their strategy of chasing value is aging far better than expected.
It's interesting that Solak had the Dirty Birds ranked ahead of teams who made more (and bigger) moves like the Carolina Panthers, New York Jets, and Tennessee Titans when aside from Tagovailoa and the Sydney Brown trade, signing Jahan Dotson and Brian Robinson Jr. were their biggest moves.
The Atlanta Falcons have done better in free agency than their strategy would lead you to believe
Solak's assessment is proof that breaking the bank isn't always the best strategy, though. Almost every move the Falcons made was a low-stakes prove-it deal with someone who needed a scenery change. And that's one of the better ways to ensure that they will never be in financial purgatory.
Signing Tagovailoa, a former Pro Bowler, for $1.2 million is well worth it, though. Even though all of his medical issues and a 15-interception season in 2025, getting a established starter to compete with Michael Penix Jr. for that cheap is insane, especially since he could've commanded a lot more money if the Dolphins weren't still paying him.
It wasn't that long ago that Tua was leading the Dolphins to the playoffs and looked like a legit MVP candidate, so even if he struggles, there's no harm no foul. The expectations should be underground for this guy and he'll likely allow them to draft a QB in 2027, but since he's playing in the best situation of his career, a career revival is still within the realm of possibility.
While Solak was a fan of the Tua move (despite being skeptical on the player), his big concern with Atlanta's free agency was their inability to make a move at CB2. He mentioned that Mike Hughes was horrible in 2025, so Brown and Darnay Holmes being the only additions to the secondary is an issue.
The only way to justify the lack of CB activity is to say they're doing their homework on a deep cornerback class in the 2026 NFL Draft, especially if they draft one with the 48th pick. Billy Bowman Jr. is also recovering from an Achilles tear, so a boundary corner and nickel CB are needs in Atlanta.
Playing the reclamation project game is a strategy that has worked for several players and teams in years past, so I like that Cunningham and Kevin Stefanski are adopting it too. It's been a lot of floor-raising moves, but like Solak, I think that Tua raises the Falcons' ceiling more than Penix ever will.