Now that the Atlanta Falcons have a new regime coming in, the roster overhaul is coming next. Kevin Stefanski and Matt Ryan are bracing to tailor this Falcons' roster to fit their vision, which fans are still learning about. The end goal is the same: help this team return to the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
If the Dirty Birds want to get back to the playoffs, the main way to do so is by getting aggressive in free agency. And this goes beyond retaining the low-hanging fruit with guys like Kyle Pitts and Kaden Elliss when adding players like Marlon Humphrey could continue the transformation of this defense.
For as many changes the Falcons have made under Stefanski, they kept a lot the same in regards to the defensive coaching staff. With Jeff Ulbrich back, the secondary is still an area of concern, as Dee Alford is a free agent, Billy Bowman Jr. is recovering from an Achilles tear, and Mike Hughes struggled.
There's a real chance Humphrey isn't playing in Baltimore next season, especially now that John Harbaugh is in New York. Bleacher Report's Alex Ballentine backed that belief up by labeling Humphrey as a potential cap casualty for the Ravens, and is a player Atlanta must consider signing.
"Humphrey is last on this list because it feels unlikely that they would actually give him an outright release. But their cap situation and his play this season make it a possibility. Humphrey gave up a career-high 920 passing yards when targeted this season. A post-June 1 cut would offer a huge cap savings. The $19.3 million they would carve out in cap space could fund the traditional late offseason signing the Ravens typically pull off with plenty of space to make it through the season. The problem is that he's still a valuable member of their secondary that won't be easily replaced."Alex Ballentine
NFL analyst names Marlon Humphrey as a cap casualty the Falcons could attempt to sign in free agency
A.J. Terrell is the backbone of this Falcons' secondary, but he needs a running mate, and the four-time Pro Bowler is the perfect player to take a gamble on. He had a down season in 2025, especially in coverage, but a change of scenery can help him morph back into the player fans expect him to be.
According to Pro Football Focus, the 29-year-old's 42.9 coverage grade ranked 112th out of 114 qualified corners, which led to him surrendering the career-high 920 passing yards Ballentine mentioned in his analysis. But he still intercepted four passes this year and is better than most CBs.
Despite those struggles in coverage, the 2017 first-round pick out of Alabama is still a valuable member of any secondary, as his 78.9 run defense grade ranked ninth at the position and his 63.5 pass rush grade ranked 27th.
Ballentine revealed that the Ravens would save $19.3 million if they designated him as a post-June 1 cut and he already has a cap hit of over $27 million in 2026. SO if he's cut, this would be fantastic news for an Atlanta defense that is already searching for an established CB2 opposite Terrell.
If the Falcons are patient, Humphrey could very well be an option worth kicking the tires on, but they'll have to fend off countless other suitors.