In 2024, the Atlanta Falcons' cornerback room was inconsistent, to say the least. Fifth-year cornerback AJ Terrell was the Falcons' most consistent player in the group, which should be a given, as he is the highest-paid on the team. Veterans Mike Hughes and Dee Alford were where the problems lay.
The latter caught most fans' eyes with bad play at the end of last season. That said, Atlanta decided to bring both players back very quickly this offseason. While many fans don't have an issue with Hughes being back despite his struggles, people aren't so thrilled that Alford is back.
This has led to some fans hoping the team might make one more move at the position before the beginning of training camp. Luckily, Atlanta still has a chance to make a splash by signing Asante Samuel Jr.
Falcons Must Sign Asante Samuel Jr. Before Training Camp
The Falcons' signing of Samuel Jr. would excite Falcons fans for multiple reasons. To begin, his father, Asante Samuel Sr., finished his career in Atlanta and was a beloved player. Falcons fans would for sure welcome his son with the same hospitality they gave to him.
Furthermore, Samuel Jr. would provide an instant upgrade at the cornerback position. Though it seems that rookie Billy Bowman is on track to beat out Alford in the slot, Samuel Jr. is more comfortable playing outside corner. Over his first four seasons, the 25-year-old has recorded 176 tackles, 37 pass deflections, and six interceptions with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Moreover, Samuel Jr. had his best season in coverage in 2023, recording a 75.6 grade in pass coverage, according to PFF. Unfortunately, the 25-year-old was unable to build on that in 2024 as he dealt with an injury. Last year, he was placed on injured reserve after four games due to a shoulder injury.
Prior to that, Samuel Jr. had only missed five games in his rookie season due to a concussion. However, it was reported in the middle of May that the reason Samuel Jr. is still on the open market is that he had neck surgery in April. Though that's a bit concerning, as long as the injury doesn't linger, he would significantly help the Falcons' secondary.
Even though Samuel Jr. would be an instant upgrade and fan favorite, signing him may be difficult. According to Over the Cap, the Falcons have $4.96 million left in effective cap space in 2025 and $522k in 2026.
While that number looks concerning for 2026, the cap space does rise, so it should give Atlanta some more money to work with. The Falcons' front office should do whatever they can to secure another young star at cornerback like Samuel Jr.