Grading every move Atlanta Falcons made during first wave of free agency

Kirk Cousins signs a 4-Year $180-Million-dollar deal Grade: A+

The Atlanta Falcons landed the most impactful free agent on the market for their biggest position of need. Forget the contract breakdown for a moment and simply look at the impact across the league. The Falcons went from a forgotten team to one being discussed daily on sports shows overnight.

Kirk Cousins carries that much weight when you consider Atlanta's young roster talent and the easy division the team plays in. Even if the team still had Arthur Smith as their head coach this signing is good enough to push them into the playoffs.

While that isn't the long term goal, simply making the playoffs is a stepping stone in the right direction for this franchise. Kirk Cousins could be a great mentor as well and doesn't block you from adding a rookie quarterback.

Which leads us to the contract structure, yes, Kirk Cousins cashed in yet again but for Atlanta this isn't a bad deal. You are paying Cousins market value and you are able to escape the contract in year three if things don't go as planned. This is a huge win for the Falcons and the attention the move is getting speaks to that.