In his first offseason with the Atlanta Falcons, Ian Cunningham hasn't wasted any time proving himself as far more qualified to be calling the shots in Atlanta than his predecessor, Terry Fontenot. He's a general manager who is much more well-versed in the modern NFL, which is to the Falcons' benefit.
Cunningham has been much more strategic in his free agency approach, as he's felt comfortable letting key free agents like Arnold Ebiketie, Kaden Elliss, and Tyler Allgeier leave the Falcons so the team can land 2027 compensatory picks. After having just five picks in 2026, he wants more in 2027.
With players like Elliss and Allgeier, the Dirty Birds obviously tried bringing them back, but were not heartbroken by their departure. But in the case of people like Ebiketie and Dee Alford, the Falcons were never retaining them, so the extra compensatory pick will make it easier to add younger talent.
The Atlanta Falcons are happy to land a compensatory pick by letting Arnold Ebiketie walk in free agency
At this point, the Falcons are basically collecting comp picks like infinity stones, and per Over the Cap, the most recent pick they landed was a seventh-round pick for letting Ebiketie walk and sign with the Philadelphia Eagles. But that's in addition to the other compensatory picks Atlanta received.
Cunningham's strategy is foolproof, as the Falcons received a fifth-round pick for letting Elliss walk and a sixth-rounder for losing Allgeier to the Arizona Cardinals. They were also in line to get an extra sixth from Alford, which was later downgraded to a seventh and cancelled out with the Nick Folk signing, whose value was upgraded.
That's three extra picks the Falcons will make in 2027, so Cunningham was correct in his revelation that they would never have this few picks again in his tenure as GM. And it helps that they'll actually have their first-round pick next draft, but nine picks is his disposal is nine chances to land a superstar.
This was ignited by Allgeier's departure, but knowing that the Ebiketie deal nets them a pick that won't be cancelled out by signing either Azeez Ojulari or Samson Ebukam. So not only did the Falcons sign two cheaper and arguably better edge rushers, this approach is in line with Cunningham's winning blueprint, which I think he learned from Howie Roseman.
This is a pretty genius plan, too. The pass-rush needed to add reinforcements, yet the 40-year-old GM strategically positioned the Falcons perfectly to address a major need without having to break the bank to do so. And Ebiketie was never coming back, so that seventh-round pick is well worth it, which gives fans a reason to trust the new regime.