The second year of the Raheem Morris era is set to start on July 23rd as both rookies and veterans report to training camp. This offseason has been headlined by Kirk Cousins' drama, but that page has seemingly turned. It's all about getting prepared for the 2025 season, and the Falcons now have a chance to get better on offense.
On Monday, the Seattle Seahawks released TE Noah Fant in a move that saved the team $9 million in cap space. Just last March, Fant and Seattle agreed to terms on a two-year, $21 million extension, but with him hitting the open market, the Falcons should pounce on that opportunity to sign him.
Falcons Should Sign Noah Fant After Release to Boost TE Depth
Obviously, the starter at tight end is Kyle Pitts, but he's going into the last year of his rookie deal. It looks like zero extension talks are happening as the team wants to see how things unfold in 2025.
While his talent is evident, the depth behind Pitts isn't good. Charlie Woerner, Feleipe Franks, and Teagan Quitoriano are the three remaining players at tight end with none of these guys logging more than 175 career receiving yards.
Woerner (166 career receiving yards), Franks (12 career receiving yards), and Quitoriano (146 career receiving yards) don't present the athletic upside that Fant would bring to the table. Woerner and Quitoriano are more known as run blockers, while Franks converted to tight end after playing quarterback in college.
Meanwhile, Fant was the 20th overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft by the Denver Broncos. In his six-year career with the Broncos and Seahawks, Fant has tallied 300 receptions (419 targets) for 3,305 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns. He's finished with at least 400 yards in every season and owns the athleticism to provide some after-the-catch ability.
The Falcons could offer Fant a two-year deal that would be less than what Pitts would ask for in a potential extension. In addition to that fact, Pitts, Quitoriano, and Franks will be free agents in 2026, so adding Fant on a two-year deal would give them a stopgap next season.
This is the type of move that is proactive and gets them ahead of a need. Fant has 83 starts under his belt and would elevate Atlanta's 12 personnel. Having an athletic tight end who can make plays with the ball in his hands is an element that makes any offense better. And Atlanta should look into signing the 27-year-old.