Wide receiver has been among the Atlanta Falcons' biggest needs all offseason long, and it didn't take long for Ian Cunningham to confirm that sentiment. The Falcons' first move of free agency was to bring veteran WR Olamide Zaccheus back to Atlanta in hopes of providing some extra WR depth.
This was the first of many changes the Falcons made to the receiver room, as they followed up the Zaccheus move by agreeing to terms with Jahan Dotson. Zaccheus and Dotson will add a vertical element to the offense despite their issues, but this may push some guys from last year out the door.
Both Malik Heath and David Sills V are set to be free agents, and in all likelihood, the Dirty Birds won't be able to retain both of them. They have limited cap space and still have other needs they have to fill, so it could force Cunnningham into a Sophie's Choice that involves keeping just one of Sills or Heath.
Frankly, this could go both ways, but given the circumstances. I would expect Heath to be the one who stays and Sills to get the short end of the stick. Raheem Morris healthy scratched the former and often benched the latter down the stretch, but I see no reason to retain a guy like Sills any longer, especially when a former first-rounder will likely take over at WR3 after Darnell Mooney's release.
Signing Olamide Zaccheus and Jahan Dotson confirms that David Sills V won't be back with the Falcons in 2026
The reason that Sills got that extra playing time down the stretch is because the 29-year-old had a strong rapport with Kirk Cousins that dated back to training camp, and since he was the starter while Michael Penix Jr. was sidelined, it may sense to play the receiver he had the superior connection with.
But now that Cousins has been cut, there's no use for the West Virginia product. He was a career journeyman before joining Atlanta, so I imagine he'll bounce around the league across the next couple of seasons assuming he isn't retained, especially since he'll be more expensive to sign than Heath.
The Falcons claimed Heath off of waivers in December, but never appeared in a game for them. The point of signing him in the first place was to chase upside and see if he can crack the WR rotation in 2026, and since he's only 25, he has higher upside, and has been good when given real opportunity.
The Ole Miss product was truly solid in Green Bay, so on a cheap deal he deserves another shot in Atlanta. Between Zaccheus, Dotson, and Heath if he returns, plus London and Casey Washington, the WR room would be more explosive like this than if Sills returns, so get ready to say your goodbyes.