The Atlanta Falcons have been more competitive than expected in the two years since Arthur Smith was hired as head coach, but the team has yet to finish with a winning record. That may change in 2023, though, as Smith and general manager Terry Fontenot finally have the resources to end Atlanta’s five-year playoff drought.
After spending years in salary cap hell due to bloated veteran contracts, the Falcons will go into the new league year with the second-most cap space in the NFL. Atlanta has roughly $67 million to spend in free agency, along with another top-10 draft pick.
The Falcons clearly have a bright future, but it’s not just due to their cap space and draft capital. In 2022, the team established a clear identity behind the NFL’s No. 3 rushing offense. USA TODAY’s Nate Davis gave Atlanta some love in a recent feature highlighting six teams who are positioned to make major progress in 2023:
“They’ve gone 14-20 over the past two seasons under head coach Arthur Smith, who’s been working with a mix of fading veterans and rookies while this organization burned off albatross contracts from the previous regime,” writes Davis. “Per OverTheCap, Smith and Co. will head into free agency with the second-biggest budget in the league. Combine that with the No. 8 pick of the draft and an underrated nucleus of players that includes RB Tyler Allgeier, WR Drake London, TE Kyle Pitts and CB A.J. Terrell, and there’s no reason to believe ATL can’t rise to the top of what projects as an extremely weakened NFC South.”
Fontenot spoke at the combine and said the team would add to the quarterback position this offseason, but he didn’t specify if Atlanta was targeting a backup to Desmond Ridder or a potential starter. Marcus Mariota was released on Tuesday, so there’s definitely a need for a quality No. 2 QB at the very least.
There are several options in free agency, and four potential first-round QB prospects — Bryce Young, C.J., Stroud, Anthony Richardson and Will Levis — in this year’s draft class.
However, many believe the Falcons would be better off building around Ridder and using the cap space to address their defensive holes. The team also needs another wide receiver to pair with Drake London. Obviously, Kyle Pitts is a pass-catching threat but the lack of receiver depth was evident last season.
Regardless of what the team decides to do this offseason, Atlanta has laid the foundation for success in 2023 and beyond.
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