New Atlanta Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham has stayed aggressive despite his lack of money and draft picks. He has landed some cheap players, while also making a couple of trades that don't lessen the total number of draft picks at his disposal.
With those moves have come way-too-early grades for the moves. Seth Walder and Ben Solak published their "2026 NFL free agency grades" on ESPN, with a few Falcons moves being featured.
The franchise we all love earned some decent but not elite grades from the ESPN duo.
Falcons earn average grades from ESPN for 3 of their offseason moves
Falcons earn 'B+' for signing Tua Tagovailoa
Out of all the moves Cunningham has made, signing Tua Tagovailoa to a one-year, veteran-minimum contract is the least risky of them all.
The former playoff starter has struggled with injuries and recent ineffective play. But the payoff is big, with next-to-nothing risk. This is something that Walder mentioned in the article, but he seems to believe it will be Michael Penix Jr.'s job when healthy.
"With Michael Penix Jr. rehabbing from the torn ACL he suffered last November, the Falcons needed someone who could, at minimum, run the offense through the offseason and back up Penix in-season," Walder wrote. "At most, the new QB would likely start a few early-season games. And, ideally, not cost much."
This is one of those moves that could've easily been handed an 'A' just because of the caliber of player at that price.
Falcons earn 'B' for Sydney Brown trade
For a refresher, Atlanta landed safety Sydney Brown in a two-pick, Day-2 trade down with the Eagles -- No. 114 down to No. 122 and No. 197 to No. 215. They land the former third-round pick for a 26-pick loss in draft positioning
There is great versatility in Brown's game, being able to play nickel and safety, while being a strong special teamer. That said, there is a reason Howie Roseman was willing to part with him for little compensation -- his play hasn't been good.
However, much like Tua, the payoff could be great. He has talent and is a ferocious special teamer.
" "The acquisition cost is so tiny for Atlanta that it's worth it to see if it can find a contributor on an inexpensive deal.""Seth Walder
All this said, draft positioning could end up being the difference between landing the player you want and not. Or it could mean trading up for that player, leading to lost picks. We will have to see how this plays out at the end of the week.
Walder also handed the Eagles an identical 'B' grade for parting with the 2023 pick.
Falcons earn 'B-' for trading Ruke Orhorhoro
As should be the case, Cunningham's decision to trade the uber-talented Ruke Orhorhoro earns the lowest grade of the bunch.
Atlanta sent their 2024 second-round pick to the Jaguars for their 2024 second-round pick, Maason Smith. The difference between the two players is Orhorhoro's immense potential, compared to Smith's less proven production and size.
"Each team is wondering if it can get a little more out of the player it's bringing in. But if I had to choose a slight winner in this trade, I would go with the Jaguars. Orhorhoro has earned more playing time and produced more sacks over the past two seasons. He's also a better run defender than Smith."
Hearing that Orhorhoro is a better run defender than Smith spells disaster for Atlanta. Smith was brought in for that part of his game; his pass-rush potential is limited. Sure, the Falcons got bigger along the line, but that only matters if they don't get pushed around.
Honestly, this is a generous grade. I am not a fan of this trade, even if Smith is a better scheme fit. It is too early to part with a potential star for a player with similar stats and lower upside.
On the flip side, Jacksonville was handed a 'B' grade -- an ungenerous grade.
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