While the Atlanta Falcons have proven that you don't have to drop so much money to have a successful free agency, one of their division rivals is setting out to quell that narrative, as the New Orleans Saints' free agent spending spree is putting the pressure on Atlanta's offseason moves.
In ESPN's Ben Solak's free agent class power rankings, he ranked the Falcons in a respectable 15th place, but had high praise for the moves that the Saints made. With just five signings, Mickey Loomis was able to make a noticeable impression that saw New Orleans place fourth in Solak's new rankings.
And it wasn't just one move he was a fan of: Solak was a fan of New Orleans' entire free agency approach for a team that wasn't exactly brimming with cap space due to their financial mistakes of the last half-decade. But unfortunately, it seems like they'll be pushing for the NFC South title in 2026.
The New Orleans Saints are going to give the Atlanta Falcons a serious run for their money in 2026
Even though the Falcons swept the Saints in 2025, 2026 looks like it could be a different story. Tyler Shough is on an upward trajectory after a strong end to the season, Kellen Moore looks like he could be a very good head coach, and that's bad news in a relatively tight NFC South championship race.
The only criticism Solak had for the Saints' offseason is that they failed to add another wide receiver, but since they have the eighth pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, I would assume wideout is at the top of their draft board, especially if one of Carnell Tate or Makai Lemon is on the board for New Orleans.
Even though it means that Alvin Kamara's career is basically cooked, Solak still praised the Travis Etienne signing after a bounce-back season with Jacksonville, and he should lead their backfield, while the David Edwards deal was quietly one of the better offensive line signings of the offseason.
The part of Solak's analysis that stung the most for Falcons fans was the blurb about how Brandon Staley will utilize Kaden Elliss. The wounds are still fresh from the 30-year-old's decision to spurn the Dirty Birds and return to the Big Easy, but hopefully Cunningham gets a bit bolder in the near future.
While the Falcons successfully pinched pennies to chase value, it hurts to see their arch-rival not only make the splash signings that people notice, but also sign the best player Atlanta had hit free agency. And then you have the Panthers, who also made splash signings that Solak praised in his article.
Atlanta is in the midst of a playoff drought, but for the less they do in free agency and the more their rivals do, the less likely it gets that this streak breaks in 2026.