When the 2024 season ended for the Atlanta Falcons, it was obvious that the team was going to spend offseason resources to address the pass rush. It was one of the weakest positions for the Falcons as they finished with a bottom-half defense for the seventh straight season.
To nobody's surprise, the Falcons made their most expensive free agent signing to upgrade their pass rush rotation, agreeing to a one-year, $10 million deal with Leonard Floyd. They then used two first-round picks on Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. to round out the rotation. Atlanta is now hoping that the revamped pass rush will finally bring the defensive unit to respectability and make them NFC South favorites.
Leonard Floyd's Decline May Make Falcons Regret Signing Him
As exciting as the revamped defense is, the Falcons may have overpaid to build it. While Floyd has been a productive defender in his 30s, he is coming off the lowest pass-rush win rate of his career at 8.8%, and the worst PFF grade at 53.5 last season. He will also turn 33 in September. Compared to some of the deals better and younger pass rushers got in free agency, Floyd's deal could come back to bite Atlanta.
The Falcons are implementing a new attack-style front under defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, per reports out of Atlanta. This is "meant to simplify responsibilities and reduce the pre-snap thinking needed on any down", per Falcons reporter Terrin Waack. Ulbrich said that this will allow the young players, namely Walker and Pearce, to find success early on. Atlanta also has Arnold Ebiketie returning, who has shown solid potential so far in his career.
In this EDGE room and new defensive scheme, Floyd may not be able to provide the production that is in line with his cap hit. Fortunately, it is only a one-year deal, and the Falcons get out of it next season, but fans may come out of this season thinking this wasn't GM Terry Fontenot's best work in free agency.