Falcons WR Drake London (5) - Dale Zanine/Imagn Images
Before the start of the 2024 NFL season, the Atlanta Falcons seemed to be the clear favorites in the NFC South. With Kirk Cousins at the helm and a deep group of offensive playmakers surrounding him, the Falcons appeared unstoppable. Instead, Atlanta limped to an 8-9 finish, with Cousins getting benched for rookie Michael Penix Jr. along the way. Now, the Falcons front office is left to pick up the pieces of a disastrous season and set themselves up to compete again in 2025. The Atlanta Falcons have plenty of work to do this offseason, so here’s a checklist to help get them started.
Atlanta Falcons Offseason Checklist
Trade (or Cut) Kirk Cousins
Most decision-makers in Atlanta’s front office would probably like to forget that this Kirk Cousins situation ever happened. However, moving on may not be as simple as it seems. Cousins holds a $40 million cap hit in 2025. This puts significant restraints on Atlanta’s flexibility this offseason. Falcons general manager has expressed his willingness to keep Cousins as a backup, but that may just be posturing for a potential trade. If the Falcons are able to trade Cousins, his new team could take on at least some of his salary. If not, the dead cap hit from cutting him will be difficult to stomach. Either way, it is time for the Falcons to move on from their failed savior.
Buy Low on Defensive Free Agents
Even if Atlanta moves on from expensive veterans like Grady Jarrett and Kaleb McGary, they will have limited cap space to work with this offseason. As their primary needs are on the defensive side of the ball, it may be wise to bet on a few low-cost free agents. We’ve seen these bets work out for other teams, Zack Baun‘s rise with the Eagles serving as the most recent example. If the Falcons sign 3-5 cheap defensive free agents, breakouts from one or two could define their 2025 season.
Draft the Best Defensive Player Available in the First Round
Despite all of Atlanta’s struggles during the 2024 season, their offense, especially with Michael Penix Jr. at quarterback, performed at a high level. After Penix Jr. fully took over the starting job in week 16, Atlanta scored at least 30 points in every remaining game. However, due to their ineptitude on defense, the Falcons still lost two of those three games. Simply put, Atlanta needs help on defense. Luckily, this draft class is loaded with defensive talent. With the 16th pick in the draft, the Falcons should draft the best defensive player available. Repeat that process for a couple of years, and Atlanta could finally return to contention.
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