The Atlanta Falcons are fresh off of their fourth loss in the last five games, but fear not Falcons fans, they're still alive in the NFC South race--although that isn't saying much. The 34-17 loss to the Bengals in Madrid was a sloppy showing, but at least it was better than what we saw against the Bucs.
Shortly after this game, the Falcons started to look to the future, trading both Jessie Bates and Ryan Neuzil at the trade deadline--and Ian Cunningham is stockpiling draft picks. This team wants to build through the draft, and given his first draft was a hit with less picks, now he has more to work with.
Speaking of the draft, Atlanta now has eight total selections in the 2027 NFL Draft, including two second-round picks, and four picks in the first two days. Not too shabby. But they also have a league-leading $149.2 million in 2027 cap space, which means they can do damage in free agency as well.
The list of impending free agents looks a lot smaller after both Bates and Neuzil were dealt and C.J. Henderson and Cameron Thomas signed extensions this morning, but like we do every week, it's time to check in on our favorite free-agents to be and evaluate their chances of being retained.
Checking in on some key 2027 Falcons free agents entering Week 10
Divine Deablo's stock has a reached an all-time low
From here, we go from an impending free agent who is helping his future to one who isn't. Divine Deablo has been out-performed by rookies Harold Perkins Jr. and Kendal Daniels this season and has been hampered by forearm injuries, as he's regressed from the budding star we saw last season.
He did not record a single tackle in the loss to the Bengals. Even Nick Muse could get into the tackle column.
Deablo was looked at as someone who could be moved before the trade deadline, but ultimately, there wasn't enough interest there for the Dirty Birds to get anything for him--and it's hard to blame the rest of the NFL. I wouldn't give up draft capital for a one-armed, soon-to-be free agent either.
It feels like his days in Atlanta are numbered and Daniels and Perkins are the long-term starters at linebacker, but getting nothing for him is a sign of his decline. I can't imagine much interest will follow in free agency, either. Down the stretch, he won't offer much more than veteran mentorship.
Sydney Brown and DeMarcco Hellams have an opportunity
Without Jessie Bates in the mix, the Falcons are relying heavily upon two pending free agents to carry the load. One is DeMarcco Hellams, who is set to take on his spot as the strong safety after starting in his place while he was injured during training camp, and the other is Sydney Brown.
Brown is a safety whom Atlanta moved into a nickel corner, and keeping him around the box has yielded some surprisingly impressive results. However, he missed two tackles in Madrid and failed miserably as a safety in Philadelphia, which poses some risk about moving him back there now.
Across the final eight games of 2026, they both have an opportunity to take on extra snaps in Bates' absence--and possibly earn a second contract from the Falcons.
Za'Darius Smith could still be in the market for an extension
Cameron Thomas was always going to be the pass-rusher Atlanta chose to extend first since he's the youngest of the FAs to be, but he's also much quieter after a hot start to the season. In the loss to the Bengals, he recorded his first pressure since Week 6, so Za'Darius Smith could still stick around.
Unfortunately for him, it was only one, and Smith has out-performed him of late. He amassed a hit on Joe Burrow and leads the team with five sacks at the midway point, and given he wants to be here since the Falcons were his late mom's favorite team, I don't think he's going anywhere anytime soon.
He and Thomas would be the rotational guys behind James Pearce Jr. and Jalon Walker next season, and given he seems more likely to stay than Samson Ebukam, I still think he returns in 2027.
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