Ian Cunningham is inheriting an interesting situation as the general manager of the Atlanta Falcons. After fending off a late challenge from James Liipfert to be hired as the team's new GM, he'll be working with first-time executive Matt Ryan to push a super talented Atlanta roster over the edge.
The Falcons are in the midst of an eight-year playoff drought and have no first-round pick at his disposal, so he'll certainly have his work cut out for him. Since most of Kevin Stefanski's coaching staff is now set in stone, the next task the 40-year-old has on his checklist is to shake up this roster.
Cunningham's old team, the Chicago Bears, have several players the Dirty Birds could look to target, whether it be via free agency or calling up his old boss Ryan Poles to make a trade. Both options are feasible and fans are looking to see him make big moves, but a smaller one could be his first as GM.
Andrew Billings isn't a household name in the NFL, but the fit for Jeff Ulbrich's defense is too strong to ignore.
Ian Cunningham could bring Andrew Billings with him to Atlanta to help address the Falcons' struggles against the run
Despite being stellar against the pass, the Atlanta defense left a lot to be desired in stopping the run. They ranked 24th in the NFL in rushing yards per game and had no answers for the run, especially against star RBs likeJonathan Taylor and Christian McCaffrey, who ran wild against the Falcons.
David Onyemata is as good as gone, so the Falcons just need an experienced nose tackle behind improving youngsters Brandon Dorlus and Ruke Orhorhoro, and Billings could be just that. The 30-year-old will also be cheap to bring in, so there wouldn't be much risk in exploring an idea like this.
The Baylor product was great in his first two seasons with the Bears, but took a step in the wrong direction in 2025. But even at his worst, he's a serviceable nose tackle who would be a better fit playing for Ulbrich instead of Dennis Allen.
According to Pro Football Focus, Billings' 38.5 PFF grade ranked 131st out of 134 qualified defensive tackles, but his run defense grade wasn't much better. His 39.0 run defense ranked 116th of 134, but he was productive for Chicago's defense in both 2023 and 2024 and is a 340-pound behemoth.
Some additional food for thought is that the Baylor product played for Stefanski for two seasons in Cleveland, even though he opted out of one of of them due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So he doesn't just have connections to Cunningham, even though the 40-year-old did sign him with Chicago.
Billings makes too much sense for the Falcons, so let's see if the first-year GM explores a reunion.