Looking at the [status of Atlanta's starting center,](https://www.atlantafalcons.com/news/drew-dalman-free-agency-status-ryan-neuzil) the writing is on the wall that the team is going to move on. The only thing that would change this is if Dalman were willing to take a discount to remain in Atlanta. This seems incredibly unlikely for a player that has been underpaid the past two seasons. Cashing in during what could be his one shot at a free agency payday is the obvious career move for the center.
For the Falcons, it is simply the math of what they already have invested in the offense. On the offensive line alone you're paying top dollar for Kaleb McGary, Chris Lindstrom, and Jake Matthews. The team will soon be forced to make a decision on the future of Kyle Pitts and Tyler Allgeier. This doesn't mention the obvious extensions that you will need to create for Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Matthew Bergeron.
It simply isn't wise to pay top dollar for Drew Dalman when you've already seen what the team looks like without him. Dalman missing a big portion of the 2024 season was more than enough to give Atlanta confidence that they can move on and still have a great offensive line.