WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The NFL's collection of head coaches voyaged to West Palm Beach for the NFL Owners Meetings, and all 32 head coaches met for their annual photo -- with the exception of Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris.
So, where was Morris? He hadn't arrived yet.
That answers one question surrounding the Falcons. Here are five others the organization must solve before kicking off in September.
Trade or keep? Releasing the four-time Pro Bowl quarterback is no longer a sensible option, as Cousins's $10 million roster bonus for 2026 has already been activated.
And despite repeatedly saying they're comfortable -- perhaps financially more than personally -- keeping Cousins as their backup, the Falcons aren't expected enter 2025 with Cousins on the roster.
He's already told owner Arthur Blank he wants to play for a team where he can start in 2025, and with Atlanta backing Michael Penix Jr., he'll need to go somewhere else.
So, how do the Falcons get Cousins off their roster and receive financial or draft compensation? That's the challenge facing general manager Terry Fontenot and staff over the next several months.
The Falcons may not have the final answer, but they hope it's a combination of free agent addition edge rushers Leonard Floyd and Morgan Cox, last year's sack leader Arnold Ebiketie and veteran defensive tackle David Onyemata.
Floyd has 48 sacks over the last five seasons. He worked with Falcons coach Raheem Morris from 2021-22 with the Los Angeles Rams and notched 18.5 sacks while starting all 34 games.
But Floyd turns 33 in September, and he's playing on a one-year, $10 million contract. He may be Atlanta's best pass rusher, but banking on him to be a double-digit sack player isn't safe.
Cox, meanwhile, totaled 15.5 sacks, 17 tackles for loss and 27 quarterback hits with the Los Angeles Chargers over the past three seasons.
Morris has bounced around various spots on the pro day circuit with an eye toward pass rushers. The Falcons are expected to add a defensive lineman or outside linebacker with one, if not both, of their picks in the first two rounds of the draft.
But even then, trusting rookies to hit the ground running is dangerous -- as is entering the season with this current crop of pass rushers.
Atlanta opted to not tender starter Dee Alford, pushing the once-restricted free agent into the unrestricted free agent pool, where he currently remains.
A reunion is possible, but regardless, the Falcons' decision meant they didn't want to pay Alford the near-$3 million right-of-first-refusal price tag -- hardly a vote of confidence for a potential starter.
The Falcons have players capable of taking the field at nickel, such as Clark Phillips III, Natrone Brooks and Mike Ford.
But Phillips worked primarily at outside cornerback last year, and Ford is known more for his work on special teams than defense. Brooks played in five games last year and played only 40 total defensive snaps.
In the modern NFL, nickel cornerbacks are important pieces. The Falcons need one of starting caliber.
The Falcons lost reserve safety Richie Grant to the San Francisco 49ers in free agency and don't appear to be headed toward a reunion with last year's starter, Justin Simmons.
Before signing Fuller to a one-year, $1.335 million contract, Atlanta's safety room consisted only of Jessie Bates III, DeMarcco Hellams and Benny Sapp III.
Fuller has started 55 of 57 professional appearances, and he had 94 tackles and three interceptions for the Rams in 2023 -- Morris's final year as defensive coordinator.
His track record says he'll start. His contract suggests there's flexibility within his role. Fuller can, if nothing else, be a solid stopgap in 2025. But the Falcons can do better next to Bates -- and may try to find an upgrade as the offseason moves forward.
Let's get the elephant out of the way: Neuzil currently isn't under contract. That's an important part to the equation.
But the Falcons gave Neuzil, who's a restricted free agent, the right-of-first-refusal tag, meaning Atlanta can match any offer made to the Appalachian State product.
So, it seems to be more of when, not if, Neuzil is officially re-signed -- and likely atop the depth chart after Dalman, a three-year starter, signed with the Chicago Bears in free agency.
Neuzil, who has played in 43 games with 12 starts across three seasons in Atlanta, is the internal favorite to replace Dalman.
The 27-year-old Neuzil started eight games in 2024 when Dalman went down with an ankle injury and performed admirably, allowing only one sack and 10 total pressures across 346 pass blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.
Neuzil committed seven penalties, but Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson said he did an "outstanding" job replacing Dalman.
It's possible Neuzil gets the chance to replace Dalman on a full-time basis. But he likely won't receive a lofty contract, and the Falcons need to be quite confident they're not shortchanging the center position.
Neuzil is still the leader in the clubhouse to be Atlanta's center next season -- but it isn't a finished deal, both literally and figuratively.