Falcons miss big on signing intriguing UGA alum in free agency

Fans were excited when they heard the Atlanta Falcons were signing former Georgia Bulldog Leonard Floyd a few hours after the 49ers dismissed him. He is a veteran pass rusher who immediately upgrades a unit that needs all the help they can get.

To follow that up, the Falcons should've brought in another pass rusher back home -- Azeez Ojulari. Instead, he is signing with the reigning champs for a shockingly low price.

While I am sure the allure of signing with a prior division rival and the Super Bowl champs was too much to pass on for Ojulari, the Falcons should've offered more than the one-year, $4.5 million he is getting from the Eagles.

Falcons should've offered Azeez Ojulari a contract he couldn't refuse

There are many teams in the NFL who have to offer more money to get players because of sustained droughts -- the Falcons are one of those teams. Even with the benefit of coming home, Azeez Ojulari would've likely picked the Eagles over the Falcons if the offers were equal.

This means the Dirty Birds should've drove a harder bargain.

When the former Giant was given the opportunity to start after Kayvon Thibodeaux's injury, Ojulari flourished. He became a consistent threat off the edge as he registered five sacks in a three-game span and six in five official starts. Unfortunately, his season was cut short due to a toe injury.

The interesting thing is that the Falcons had significant interest in the pass rusher during last year's trade deadline. Why they didn't offer him good money this offseason comes down to two things -- the defensive coordinator change and/or health concerns.

It is unlikely that a toe injury, even if they can be serious, would prevent a team from paying the 24-year-old. This decision likely comes down to a shift in scheme which is unfortunate because he would've been a high-potential signing.