Atlanta Falcons Free Agency Preview and Thoughts
By Kit Anderson
The Atlanta Falcons are coming off of another disappointing season and will have many decisions to make in free agency. Should the Falcons let names like Adrian Clayborn and Matt Bryant walk?
Atlanta Falcons fans have been put through a tough two years of football despite going to the Super Bowl they have under achieved often and become a running joke in the NFL. For that to change the Falcons will have be aggressive in free agency including letting some of their own key members to move on.
Matt Bryant, Adrian Clayborn, Taylor Gabriel, and Dontari Poe are the biggest names that will be hitting free agency for the Atlanta Falcons. Signing Bryant is the only obvious choices among the free agents.
Bryant is proven to be one of the most clutch kickers in the League keeping Matt should be a priority this off-season.
Bryant makes money kick after money kick, within reason he should be able to pick his price and the Falcons should do everything that they can to meet it.
As to the defensive line Dontari Poe and Adrian Clayborn should both be allowed to walk if they are looking for top of the line money. If not, either or both should be brought back. The problem for Clayborn is that his stats are buffered by one huge game looking at the season in it’s entirety Clayborn was an average edge rusher.
Poe meanwhile did a lot to help his cause this off-season causing pressures up the middle consistently and helping to stuff the run. Poe’s departure will hurt the Falcons the most but it is hard to see a match with the contract he will likely demand the Falcons needs.
Taylor Gabriel and Andre Roberts are two offensive weapons that are set to hit the market. Both are one trick ponies that the Falcons need to move on from.
Gabriel was not utilized enough in the Falcon’s vanilla offense enough to demand keeping him. Letting them both go and taking that money and putting it towards acquiring another weapon like Jimmy Graham should be the Falcon’s goal.