Falcons free agency roundtable: Obtaining offensive firepower

An offensive shift appears to be occurring in Atlanta, as a more spread-out passing attack featuring dynamic pass-catchers is being assembled.

After making numerous signings in free agency last year, Terry Fontenot went another route in making a colossal splash to bolster the Atlanta Falcons roster. This wasn’t the off-season to sign four to five players to shore up one side of the ball. For the new coaching staff collaborating with the front office, it was about getting the quarterback position right and adding much-needed speed within the receiving corps. The priorities were understood and executed on, leading to the Falcons making one of the biggest signings of the year, followed by a savvy signing and clever trade.

This is the first roundtable of the new NFL year. Kevin Knight joins me to examine all three of the Falcons’ notable moves and ponder what else they could do before next month’s draft. If this is your first time reading a roundtable, you can check out the last one from the 2023 season here.

What is the most assuring aspect of the front office going all out to sign Kirk Cousins?

Allen Strk: The organization’s desire to put the offense in the best position to succeed should be recognized. They decided to use three top-ten picks on skill position players. As talented as all three players are, they have been limited by substandard quarterback play, bewildering coaching decisions, or poor overall infrastructure. They need to see how productive Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts are for the future in building a long-term championship-caliber team.

They can’t see what the three dynamic players are fully capable of without competency at the quarterback position. The addition of Cousins creates far greater possibilities for three of the franchise’s top young stars while giving the franchise a serious lift in how efficient they can become offensively. It also shows urgency to put them in a position they haven’t been in since 2017-2018. Not being in the playoffs since that season must make a franchise move more urgently following countless poor decisions. They didn’t hesitate to make sure the veteran quarterback is back under center, hopefully, continuing his recent strong play in the pocket and being accurate on downfield throws.

Kevin Knight: The coaching staff and front office are no longer willing to wait around for a quarterback. That’s great news for anyone looking to see this team start winning some football games in the immediate future. Cousins is the most win-now move Atlanta could’ve made, even more than trading up for one of the top three rookie quarterbacks. There are still risks involved, mostly around Cousins’ health and readiness for the start of the 2024 season, but his talent is not in question.

Most acknowledge Cousins was playing his best ball at a top-ten level in 2023. Atlanta still has more work to do around Cousins and on the defensive side, but this team should be expected to have a drastically better passing game and offense in 2024.

Does Darnell Mooney fulfill the need to have an explosive, number-two wide receiver?

Allen Strk: Mooney possesses all the talent to be a number two wide receiver. When it comes to the market, he is arguably the best player the Falcons could have signed. An explosive wide receiver who is a legitimate vertical threat that creates separation, and plays bigger than his frame is exactly what they needed at the position.

There is some uncertainty with Mooney, given his underwhelming past season where he became an afterthought in a run-first, ball-control offense. While Mooney faces plenty of competition for targets, this will be a transition for him playing in an offense that features heavy 11 personnel, led by a quarterback who doesn’t shy away from targeting his wide receivers. For all the skepticism about Mooney coming off a quiet year, his main attributes and first two seasons in the league provide more than enough evidence of his capabilities as a dangerous, well-rounded playmaker. The increased targets will translate into greater production.

Kevin Knight: I’m not entirely convinced Mooney is a plus number two receiver, but he’s unquestionably dynamic and a high-level separator. Mooney gives Atlanta the playmaker they desperately needed across from London. He’ll get a decent boost from playing with an accurate quarterback like Cousins.

Whether or not he’ll be worth the contract is another conversation, but I think he’ll be a high-end WR3 at worst who can take the top off a defense and help create spacing in the offense that was simply not there in 2023.

How can Rondale Moore’s skillset be maximized as a multi-dimensional playmaker?

Allen Strk: Despite being completely different in physical stature and running style from Cordarrelle Patterson, Moore’s unique skill set makes him a credible replacement for the beloved playmaker. The ability to create with the ball, no matter the play design, should be valued. Moore’s elusiveness, blistering speed, and change-of-direction ability can create problems for opposing defenses.

While he faded out in Arizona, a change of scenery and better structure with his usage could help bring the best out of him. Putting a diminutive wide receiver on the outside or having him run vertical routes from the slot 20 times a game and expecting him to win will lead to underwhelming results. A player like Moore needs to be used creatively on motions, end arounds, screens, and rub route concepts. Utilizing him as a weapon to attack defenses from different angles is the best way for Moore to be a difference-maker. That includes lining him up in the backfield, where he showed impressive burst on a few highlight-reel plays.

Kevin Knight: Moore is definitely the biggest wild card in the receiving room. He’s played almost entirely from the slot and could potentially carve out a role as a high-volume player in the short-to-intermediate area. That said, his struggles with consistency and injuries throughout his career are well-documented.

Looking at Moore’s athletic profile, he’s got incredible upside and is still very young. I like the dice roll of adding him via trade and am excited to see if the Falcons can take advantage of his versatile skillset alongside their other weapons and, most notably, Bijan Robinson. There are some creative things with those two in the backfield, on screens, and as gadget players.

Which position should the Falcons attempt to address before the draft?

Allen Strk: Based on the glaring need for talent and viable veteran options, the Falcons should aim to acquire an edge rusher within the next month. They don’t seem to be re-signing Calais Campbell or Bud Dupree, which may signify they are shifting away from having a rotation filled with big edge defenders that primarily win with power. Adding more variety is necessary, as every productive defensive line has explosive edge options who can win with speed and technique.

Haason Reddick stands out as an obvious trade candidate. Given Philadelphia signed Bryce Huff to a lucrative deal and agreed to a restructured contract with Josh Sweat, it does make the star edge rusher expendable. Four consecutive double-digit sack seasons must be enticing for a team that has been desperately searching for productivity off the edge for years. If they can’t come to terms with the Eagles, signing Jadeveon Clowney or Emmanuel Ogbah as a steady veteran option would be a sensible move. Both players are still threats who command respect and can be mentors for the likely edge rusher who will be selected early in the draft.

Kevin Knight: The defense was neglected in free agency in favor of stabilizing the offense. There are some (potentially big) moves to come on that side of the ball, but the edge rusher position must be addressed early.

We have this conversation every single year. It seems like it never changes. The Falcons must add talent to the edge group or this pass rush will, once again, be very limited.