The Atlanta Falcons saw several veterans leave the franchise in free agency this offseason, including center Drew Dalman. Dalman, who the Falcons took in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, developed into one of the better centers in the league.
In the weeks leading up to NFL free agency, Dalman was considered one of the best offensive linemen on the open market, and signs pointed to him going elsewhere. He signed a three-year, $42 million contract with the Chicago Bears during the first week of free agency.
With Dalman out of the picture, it put Atlanta in a tough position. Do they try to find Dalman’s replacement in free agency or the draft? Or do the Falcons already have the answer in-house?
On Tuesday, Falcons head coach Raheem Morris spoke to reporters at the league’s annual meeting and mentioned Ryan Neuzil as a potential replacement for Dalman. According to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Morris said he’s comfortable with Neuzil at center but will have to compete to win that spot.
#Falcons HC Raheem Morris is comfortable with Ryan Neuzil at center. He'll have to compete to win the spot. They have a 8-game sample size from last season that they are comfortable with.
— D. Orlando Ledbetter (@DOrlandoAJC) April 1, 2025
Last month, the Falcons placed a right of first refusal tender on the 27-year-old lineman, which means Atlanta can keep Neuzil if they match an offer from another team.
The 27-year-old offensive lineman started in eight games last season for an injured Dalman. Neuzil played okay when called upon, sporting a 63.6 pass blocking and a 60.5 run blocking grades, per PFF. The 6-foot-3, 301-pound lineman only allowed one sack but was penalized seven times in 578 offensive snaps.
Given his experience (three years with the Falcons), Neuzil should be the front-runner to be the starting center. The only other center options on Atlanta’s roster are Jovaughn Gwyn and Matthew Cindric.
Gwyn was drafted in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft and has appeared in two regular-season games. Meanwhile, Cindric was signed to a reserve/future deal in January by the Falcons.
That said, we’ll see if the Falcons add a veteran in the coming weeks to compete with these three guys or stick with what they have.