Atlanta Falcons, Ian Cunningham, given bleak optimism after free agency moves.
Getty
Falcons GM Ian Cunningham.
Things have looked a little different with the Atlanta Falcons this offseason. They’ve replaced their head coach and much of their front office, not to mention making roster additions through free agency with players like quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
Tagovailoa will likely end up being a critical piece to the puzzle in the first season under new general manager Ian Cunningham and head coach Kevin Stefanski. But that probably won’t tell the whole story — at least, that’s the hope.
Just how the 2026 season will play out is a mystery with all the major changes. But it’s clear that executives across the league aren’t too impressed with what the Falcons have done so far to fix their team.
NFL Executives Rip Falcons’ Free Agency Moves
The Falcons have signed or re-signed 18 players in free agency, yet nearly every move has drawn skepticism.
The Athletic’s Mike Sando recently surveyed NFL executives, and none offered a glowing review of Atlanta’s offseason.
“There is nothing about what they have done that I can say, ‘That makes sense,’” one exec told Sando.
Another questioned deals like giving 41-year-old kicker Nick Folk a two-year, $9 million contract with $4 million guaranteed, along with punter Jake Bailey receiving three years, $9 million with $5 million guaranteed.
“But that is not a good class. That’s a grab bag of, ‘We don’t know what we’re doing.’”
Sando noted that this type of feedback was consistent across the executives he spoke with.
Another exec questioned why Atlanta didn’t prioritize keeping linebacker Kaden Elliss.
“Why are you doing these deals?” the exec said. “If you are going to pay these guys, why wouldn’t you pay to keep Kaden Elliss? He is 30 years old, but a good player coming off one of his best years. Played like 100 percent of the snaps (99.9 percent), can play multiple spots, can rush, play off the ball. It’s crazy.”
Did the Falcons Make the Right Moves In Free Agency?
The closest thing to a positive review centered around the addition of Tagovailoa.
“For the price, you can’t hate on that,” another exec said. “But overall, it seems like they swapped out guys for guys. They have some talent, but they are not in win-now mode. They are not in tank mode, either. They seem very net neutral.”
The Falcons needed to find a replacement for Kirk Cousins, whom they released and will still pay more than $8 million this season while he plays for the Las Vegas Raiders. They needed a quarterback who could serve as both a backup and a potential starter, especially with uncertainty surrounding Michael Penix Jr.’s readiness for Week 1. Tagovailoa fit that need, particularly at a league-minimum price following his release.
As for the signings of Folk and Bailey, Atlanta had clear issues on special teams last season.
The Falcons ranked 24th in field goal percentage (82%), allowed a league-worst 30-yard average on kickoff returns, and ranked 27th in punt average at 45.1 yards.
Those struggles made upgrades necessary.
And when it comes to Elliss, who signed with the New Orleans Saints on a three-year, $33 million deal, it appeared from the start that Atlanta was prepared to let him walk.
“We will see how that goes moving forward,” Cunningham said in February when asked about Elliss. “He is a guy we are obviously evaluating and thinking there are a lot of linebackers in this market. I feel like we have to really look at our cap situation and our roster moving forward.”
Whether that approach proves to be the right one remains to be seen, but for now, the Falcons’ offseason is drawing more criticism than confidence from around the league.