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Bears Finalize 2024 Coaching Staff

March 2nd, 2024 at 2:30pm CST by Ely Allen

This offseason, the Bears had to replace both coordinator positions, a situation that usually results in quite a bit of turnover on either side of the staff. Head coach Matt Eberflus allowed each coordinator to make final decisions on their staff, but many assistants (particularly on the defense) were retained in Chicago for the 2024 NFL season.

We’ll start on defense, where Eberflus likely influenced some of the decisions made by new defensive coordinator Eric Washington. The staff looks fairly similar to last year’s with defensive line coach Travis Smith, linebackers coach Dave Borgonzi, cornerbacks coach and defensive passing game coordinator Jon Hoke, safeties coach Andre Curtis, and defensive quality control coach Kevin Koch all being retained in their prior roles. David Overstreet also remains on staff, but his title changes from assistant defensive backs coach to nickelbacks coach. Kenny Norton III also earned a promotion, going from coaching assistant to defensive quality control coach.

The only two new additions on defense appear to be Bryan Bing, who replaces Justin Hinds as assistant defensive line coach, and new defensive analyst (advance/special projects) Matt Pees. After Hinds departed to take the defensive line coaching job in Seattle, according to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, the Bears landed on Bing, who served as a defensive assistant with the Colts last year as a Tony Dungy Diversity Coaching Fellow. Pees is the son of long-time defensive coordinator Dean Pees and previously spent the last three years as a defensive assistant with the Falcons, working two of those years under his father.

On the offensive side of the ball, we already knew that new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron had hired Kerry Joseph as quarterbacks coach, Chad Morton as running backs coach, Chris Beatty as wide receivers coach, Thomas Brown as passing game coordinator, and Jason Houghtaling as assistant offensive line coach. Houghtaling will assist Chris Morgan, who was retained as offensive line coach and granted the additional title of offensive run game coordinator. Also retained were tight ends coach Jim Dray and offensive quality control coach Zach Cable.

There were three notable additions to the staff on offense. Both Ryan Griffin and Robbie Picazo will serve under the title offensive assistant (quarterbacks and wide receivers). Griffin, a former NFL quarterback, is taking his first coaching gig after a short stint in the Italian Football League last year. Picazo spent the past two years as an offensive assistant with the Seahawks and Texans, coaching at Rice and Stanford at the collegiate level for several years before that. The final offensive addition is Jennifer King, who will be the team’s offensive assistant (running backs). After becoming the first black woman to be named a full-time NFL coach as an assistant running backs coach for the past three year with the Commanders, King continues her NFL journey, this time in Chicago.

Lastly, the Bears enlisted the services of Chavis Cook to manage coaching administration.

There you have it. Eberflus has crafted a new staff with a mix of new and familiar faces. With the new staff locked in, the team can now turn its attention to free agency, the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, and the future of quarterback Justin Fields.

Falcons Interested In Baker Mayfield?

February 29th, 2024 at 10:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

Linked closely to quarterbacks this offseason, the Falcons may be moving close to landing their next starter. Justin Fields-to-Atlanta buzz is heating up, but the NFC South team also looks to be interested in Baker Mayfield — potentially as a contingency plan.

The Buccaneers have begun talks with Mayfield, who would stand to lose some leverage if the Falcons complete a Fields trade soon. But Atlanta is believed to be in the mix for Mayfield, according to Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline. It would take the Bucs failing to complete a Mayfield deal to bring the Falcons into this equation, however. The Bucs’ exclusive negotiating rights expire at 11am CT on March 11, when the legal tampering period begins.

Last year, the Giants and Seahawks needed to pin down the markets for Daniel Jones and Geno Smith, respectively. Both teams reached deals with their QBs to keep them off the market. The Bucs are in the same situation, and it will require a big raise for them to keep Tom Brady‘s successor in town. Mayfield is expected to draw at least $34MM per year on his next deal, per Pauline, who throws out a $40MM-AAV prospect as a potential ceiling number.

The Giants giving Jones $40MM per annum could conceivably be a factor here, and that contract included $81MM fully guaranteed. Mayfield’s guarantee figure will be one of this offseason’s most interesting numbers, given where his value stood after poor 2021 and ’22 seasons. A team shelling out a Jones-level guarantee would certainly be taking a risk.

The Falcons do have some staffers familiar with Mayfield. New OC Zac Robinson was Mayfield’s position coach during his brief stay with the Rams, with Raheem Morris obviously observing the former waiver claim in that span as well.

Mayfield going from where he was entering last year’s free agency to his present value remains a fascinating process, one that underscores the supply-and-demand issue at quarterback. Other suitors are in on Mayfield, per Pauline, though it is not certain how aggressive the non-Bucs contingent plans to be. It would stand to reason the Raiders, Broncos and perhaps the Vikings — depending on their Kirk Cousins conclusion — are monitoring Mayfield. The Steelers have been linked to Fields, though they have also been connected to a plan of bringing in a veteran to compete with Kenny Pickett. Given where Mayfield’s price might be, he is overqualified for that assignment despite needing to win the Tampa Bay job last summer.

The Bucs likely have Mayfield atop their priority queue, but they also are believed to be readying to use their franchise tag on Antoine Winfield Jr. It would be a bit of a leap for the Bucs to tag Mayfield, as that would cost more than $38MM. Even if Mayfield’s AAV could wind up in this ballpark — a staggering raise from the $4MM base salary he signed for in 2023 — that would be a crippling cap hold for the Bucs to carry into free agency. That said, the team just qualified for the divisional round with Brady’s $35.1MM dead-money sum on the books.

Regarding Fields and the Falcons, a DraftKings Sportsbook update places this as the runaway lead fit by slotting Atlanta as a minus-250 favorite for the Chicago QB. The Bears hope to finalize a Fields decision before free agency, with GM Ryan Poles indicating he wants to do right by the three-year starter. Chicago is on track to draft Caleb Williams with its Carolina-obtained No. 1 pick, and while that is not yet final, Fields is widely expected to be wearing a different uniform in 2024.

If the Falcons do not end up with the Georgia native — whom they passed on in 2021 — a Mayfield push could become intense for a team that has wanted to upgrade on Desmond Ridder since the season ended.

Jets Not Expected To Re-Sign T Mekhi Becton; Latest On New York O-Line

February 29th, 2024 at 4:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

FEBRUARY 29: Following up on his previous report, Pauline names the Titans and Falcons as teams to watch on the Becton front. Tennessee struggled up front last season, and at least one tackle addition will no doubt be a top priority for the team. Atlanta does not have a pressing vacancy along the O-line, but Pauline notes the team’s offensive line coach (Dwayne Ledford) worked with Becton in college. A prove-it deal sending him to either team in free agency could be in the cards as a result.

FEBRUARY 28: A January report indicated Mekhi Becton was likely to sign his second contract elsewhere. It now seems all but certain the former first-round pick will not be back with the Jets.

Buzz circulating around Becton for weeks has pointed to the injury-prone tackle signing a one-year deal with another team, Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline notes. The New York Post’s Brian Costello takes it a step further, indicating Becton and Duane Brown will not be back with the Jets. Brown, 38, played out a two-year, $20MM deal in New York but ran into injury trouble in both seasons.

[RELATED: Jets To Release G Laken Tomlinson]

Becton returned after missing 33 games from 2021-22, beginning the season at right tackle but seeing time on the left side due to other Jets injuries as well. While displaying tremendous confidence in his bounce-back ability last offseason, Becton did not distinguish himself — beyond a slimmed-down physique — in his contract year. Pro Football Focus slotted the 2020 first-rounder 66th among tackles, a downgrade from his last healthy season.

While it seems likely a team will give Becton a second chance — especially on a thin tackle market — the Louisville alum makes sense as a player who will need to prove it on a one-year deal before a big-money contract is considered down the line. Becton is still just 24, though his injury- and weight-related struggles will impact his market.

Elsewhere on Gang Green’s O-line, Costello adds the Jets have not decided on the positions of Alijah Vera-Tucker. The three-year veteran is in line to return as a starter, but Costello offers that the team may not have his position nailed down until after free agency. Drafted to play guard, Vera-Tucker has slid to right tackle in each of the past two seasons due to injuries elsewhere. While the Jets have been intrigued by the prospect of the 2021 first-rounder sticking at RT, Costello adds the team may view the position hopping as part of the reason for his back-to-back season-ending injuries.

With this free agency class far deeper at guard compared to tackle, the Jets targeting an inside starter and keeping Vera-Tucker outside could be the way they go about this. The team had previously viewed Vera-Tucker as a potential Pro Bowl-caliber guard, so it will be interesting to see how it arranges its pieces up front. Clarity from the draft also may be necessary, as the Jets are being linked closely to drafting a tackle in Round 1. By most accounts, they were prepared to do so last year (Broderick Jones) before the Steelers swooped in.

Additional uncertainty may exist regarding Joe Tippmann‘s position, but Costello adds the college center is likely to work in that role despite seeing regular guard duty in 2023. Drafted as the center of the future in last year’s second round, Tippmann deferred to the re-signed Connor McGovern. The latter is due for free agency, clearing a path here.

Rather into former Packers, the Jets will probably consider David Bakhtiari if/once Green Bay releases him. The former All-Pro tackle missed almost all of the 2021 and ’23 seasons due to knee trouble that came out of the New Year’s Eve 2020 ACL tear. A Bakhtiari-Jets partnership — a matter that has been considered since Aaron Rodgers‘ arrival — may only come about, per Costello, if the injury-prone talent accepts he would be in a competition for a job rather than handed the Jets’ LT post.

The 11-year veteran was in place as the Pack’s LT starter for two of Rodgers’ four MVP seasons, picking up five All-Pro honors himself. Though, the 32-year-old blocker’s five knee surgeries over the past three years have changed his career path. Regardless of Bakhtiari’s status, the Jets appear prepared to reshape their O-line in a high-stakes offseason for the franchise.

Falcons To Release TE Jonnu Smith

February 27th, 2024 at 2:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

A 2023 trade reunited Jonnu Smith with then-Falcons HC Arthur Smith. With a new coaching staff in Atlanta, the Falcons will move on from the veteran tight end.

For a second straight offseason, Smith will be changing teams. The Falcons will release the seventh-year veteran, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. Smith enjoyed a productive 2023 season and will certainly generate interest on the market. This will be his first time in free agency since 2021.

Smith totaled career-high numbers in receptions (50) and receiving yards (582) last season, adding three touchdowns in what was again a low-wattage Falcons passing attack. With Arthur Smith now in Pittsburgh and Zac Robinson set to call plays in Atlanta, the Falcons will move on from their experienced Kyle Pitts sidekick.

The Falcons will pick up $6.5MM in cap space by making this cut, which will push their total to nearly $40MM. The team had reworked Smith’s contract upon acquiring him last year and stands to gain a chunk of cap room as a result of making him a one-and-done in Atlanta.

Pitts remains tied to his rookie deal, though the former No. 4 overall pick is now extension-eligible. By picking up Pitts’ fifth-year option, the Falcons can extend his rookie contract through 2025. With Pitts being a one-time Pro Bowler, it will cost the Falcons $10.88MM to exercise the option.

Pitts and Smith formed one of the NFL’s top tight end tandems last season, combining to catch 103 passes for more than 1,200 yards. Smith finished the season as the Falcons’ third-leading receiver — behind Drake London and Pitts — and bounced back from his Patriots seasons. After commanding a lucrative deal as a free agent in 2021, Smith did not exceed 300 receiving yards in either of his two New England seasons alongside Hunter Henry.

Jonnu Smith did eclipse 400 yards in each of Arthur Smith’s two seasons as Titans OC. The Steelers rostering Pat Freiermuth and third-round pick Darnell Washington makes another reunion harder to envision, but given the success the 28-year-old pass catcher has achieved on the play-caller’s watch, it would seemingly not be out of the question.

Jaguars Make Final Changes To 2024 Staff

February 25th, 2024 at 7:09pm CST by Ely Allen

The Jaguars were one of several teams that were forced to make adjustments to their coaching staff, most notably after parting ways with defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell and company. The new staff under Caldwell’s successor, former Falcons defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen, has been finalized, as have a few updates to the offensive side of the ball, as well.

On defense we were already aware of the hires of defensive backs coach Kris Richard and inside linebackers coach Matt House, as well as the retention of assistant defensive line coach Rory Segrest, outside linebackers coach Bill Shuey, and defensive quality control coach Patrick Reilly. We had originally reported that Cory Robinson would be joining the staff as the team’s cornerbacks coach, but the team’s update tells us that, more specifically, he will be a defensive assistant and cornerbacks coach.

To round out the new defensive staff, the team has hired Jeremy Garrett as their new defensive line coach, Michael Gray as assistant secondary coach and defensive analyst, and Mario Jeberaeel as assistant outside linebackers coach. Garrett replaces Brentson Bucker, who was fired alongside Caldwell. He has NFL experience with the Browns and most recently worked at the collegiate level with Auburn and Liberty. Gray and Jeberaeel both follow Nielsen from Atlanta. Gray joined the Falcons last year as a football analyst, while Jeberaeel came into the title of special projects: defense coach last season.

On the offensive side of the ball, Jacksonville announced the hires of running backs coach Jerry Mack and offensive quality control coach Jamel Mutunga, as well as the promotion of former offensive quality control coach Greg Austin to assistant offensive line coach. Mack replaces Bernie Parmalee, who took the same position with the Panthers after being fired alongside Caldwell. This will be Mack’s first NFL coaching gig after spending 20 years coaching at the collegiate level. Most recently, Mack coached a Volunteers team at Tennessee that finished top-12 in rushing yards per game twice in his three years.

Austin takes the position of Todd Washington, who also was let go with Parmalee and Caldwell. Mutunga takes his spot in quality control after serving as an offensive assistant with the Panthers last year. His first year of experience came in 2022, when he was the inaugural recipient of the Tony Dungy Diversity Coaching Fellowship in Indianapolis.

That sets the stage in Duval for the 2024 season. A few adjustments on offense and a changing of the guard on defense define the early portion of Jacksonville’s offseason. It will be worth watching to see if a new defensive staff can help a young Jaguars squad take the next step in the new league year.

NFC Coaching Updates: Falcons, Vikings, Garcia, Glenn

February 25th, 2024 at 6:21pm CST by Ely Allen

As the offseason chugs along, teams continue to reconstruct their coaching staffs. The Falcons made a number of moves just before the weekend, according to Michael Rothstein of ESPN. The staff continues to take shape under new head coach Raheem Morris.

On offense, two announcements were made on assistants looking to hold over from Arthur Smith‘s staff last year. Rothstein reports that assistant offensive line coach Shawn Flaherty and offensive assistant Patrick Kramer, who each came to Atlanta last offseason, will be retained in their previous positions.

A new hire was announced, as well, with the team naming Jacquies Smith as their new outside linebackers coach. Formerly a seven-year NFL defensive end, the former undrafted player out of Missouri will now accept his first NFL coaching position. After disappearing from the NFL-world for a spell and making an appearance in the XFL, Smith worked with draft-eligible players in pre-draft training. He most recently spent the 2023 season as an assistant edge coach for the Texas Longhorns.

In the front office, the team announced the hires of John Griffin as director of player performance and Rob Dadona as manager of coaching operations. Griffin follows Morris after spending the past three years with the Rams. Dadona replaces Brian Griffin, who departed to serve as Chief of Staff at the University of Maryland. Dadona spent the past five seasons with the Jets, serving as assistant to the head coach for the last three.

Here are a few other staff updates from around the NFC, starting with a couple out of Minneapolis:

  • The Vikings announced two staff additions this weekend, naming assistant offensive line coach Shaun Sarrett and assistant to the head coach Henry Schneider IV. Sarrett replaces Justin Rascati, who departed for Los Angeles to serve as the Chargers pass-game coordinator. The two essentially swapped places, as Sarrett spent the past three years in the assistant offensive line coaching role with the Chargers. Schneider spent the last five years with the Raiders, most recently as the manager of coaching operations.
  • The Cowboys added a hot, young name out of Washington to their defensive staff this weekend. Cristian Garcia, who spent part of last year as the Commanders interim defensive backs coach, will head to Dallas as a defensive quality control coach, per Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News. Garcia was a name that former Commanders head coach Ron Rivera turned to for leadership after firing defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio. Now he’ll join the NFC East rival.
  • Washington added their own coaching assistant last week. According to ESPN’s John Keim, John Glenn will join the staff as the Commanders’ new assistant special teams coach. Glenn replaces Ben Jacobs, who had served in the same role since following Rivera from Carolina in 2020 but was not retained by the new staff. Glenn changes roles a bit after spending the past six seasons as the Seahawks linebackers coach.

2024 NFL Cap Space, By Team

February 24th, 2024 at 9:33pm CST by Adam La Rose

The NFL provided clarity to its teams on Friday by setting the salary cap ceiling ($255.4MM). Franchise tag figures have been locked in as well, and clubs can now proceed with their offseason planning knowing exactly where they stand with respect to financial flexibility. Courtesy of Over the Cap, here is the current landscape in terms of salary cap space:

  1. Washington Commanders: $79.61MM
  2. Tennessee Titans: $78.66MM
  3. Chicago Bears: $78.34MM
  4. New England Patriots: $77.96MM
  5. Indianapolis Colts: $72.34MM
  6. Houston Texans: $67.58MM
  7. Detroit Lions: $57.61MM
  8. Arizona Cardinals: $51.1MM
  9. Cincinnati Bengals: $50.67MM
  10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $43.68MM
  11. Los Angles Rams: $43.11MM
  12. Las Vegas Raiders: $42.94MM
  13. Minnesota Vikings: $35.81MM
  14. Carolina Panthers: $34.57MM
  15. Atlanta Falcons: $33MM
  16. New York Giants: $30.8MM
  17. Philadelphia Eagles: $27.35MM
  18. Jacksonville Jaguars: $24.68MM
  19. Kansas City Chiefs: $18.19MM
  20. Baltimore Ravens: $16.63MM
  21. Seattle Seahawks: $12.97MM
  22. New York Jets: $12.76MM
  23. Pittsburgh Steelers: $9MM
  24. Green Bay Packers: $2.3MM
  25. San Francisco 49ers: $5.07MM over the cap
  26. Cleveland Browns: $7.76MM over
  27. Dallas Cowboys: $9.86MM over
  28. Denver Broncos: $16.81MM over
  29. Los Angeles Chargers: $25.61MM over
  30. Miami Dolphins: $27.92MM over
  31. New Orleans Saints: $42.11MM over
  32. Buffalo Bills: $43.82MM over

All teams must be cap compliant by the start of the new league year, but it will of course be more than just those currently over the limit which will make cost-shedding moves in the near future. Cuts, restructures and extensions are available as tools to carve out space in advance of free agency. Several have already taken place around the league.

That includes the Dolphins’ release of defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah and the planned cut of Xavien Howard. The latter cannot be designated a post-June 1 release until free agency begins but once it happens, Miami will move much closer to cap compliance. The Saints have moved considerable commitments into the future via restructures (as usual), but more transactions on that front will be required even with the cap seeing an historic single-season jump.

The roughly $30MM spike from 2023 will provide unforeseen spending power for teams already set to lead the pack in cap space while also making the task of those at the bottom of the list easier. Spending more on backloaded contracts this offseason at the expense of future space obviously carries risk, however. Still, the news of a higher-than-expected ceiling will add further intrigue to each team’s financial planning.

With Dak Prescott and Deshaun Watson each set to carry record-breaking cap hits for 2024, the Cowboys and Browns will be among the teams most in need of working out a deal to lower those figures. In Dallas’ case in particular, an extension would provide immediate breathing room in addition to clarity on his future beyond the coming season. For Cleveland, Watson’s fully-guaranteed deal has already been restructured once and will need to be again to avoid consecutive years of a $64MM cap charge over its remaining term.

If the Commanders and Patriots add a quarterback with the second and third picks in this year’s draft, each team currently in the top six in space will enjoy the benefits of having a signal-caller on their rookie contracts. That would allow for an aggressive approach to free agency, although the Chiefs’ success after Patrick Mahomes signed (and re-worked) his monster extension has proven it is possible to win Super Bowl titles with a substantial QB investment on the books.

AFC North Coaching Updates: Sullivan, Ravens, Bengals

February 24th, 2024 at 4:38pm CST by Ely Allen

With the Patriots and Bill Belichick parting ways this offseason, the AFC North is now home to the NFL’s two longest-tenured head coaches, and though the Steelers haven’t had a change at head coach in 17 years, they were required to make some adjustments to the offensive coaching staff this offseason. We’ve reported on a number of staff changes on offense after the hiring of new coordinator Arthur Smith, but the team’s recent finalized staff announcement provided us with a few more updates.

We saw that Pittsburgh made the call to replace former quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan with Tom Arth two weeks ago, but we now see that Sullivan will be retained on staff in the role of senior offensive assistant. Additionally, Smith seems to have brought two coaches with him from Atlanta. Former Falcons specials teams assistant Matt Baker and Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellow Mateo Kambui, who worked with Atlanta’s offensive line, have both been brought on in the role of offensive assistant.

On defense and special teams, only two changes were noted. First, we already saw the departure of assistant defensive backs coach Gerald Alexander in the announcement that he would become the safeties coach in Las Vegas. Second, special teams quality control coach Matt Tomsho does not appear on the team’s new coaching roster and doesn’t seem to have been retained. Neither position was filled with a new staffer.

Here are a couple other staff updates coming out of the AFC North:

  • With former associate head coach and defensive line coach Anthony Weaver departing for the defensive coordinator job in Miami, the Ravens needed to find someone new to coach their talented defensive line. According to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, Baltimore has found their man in former Baylor defensive line coach Dennis Johnson. A former defensive tackle at LSU, Johnson has coached defensive lines at the college level for both his alma mater and the Bears in Waco. His best defensive lines were at LSU in 2018 and Baylor in 2021, coaching players like Siaki Ika and K’Lavon Chaisson.
  • The Bengals have brought in a collegiate staffer, as well, per Pete Thamel of ESPN, hiring former Oregon offensive analyst Jordan Salkin to their staff as an offensive assistant. Salkin’s experience at the college level was focused on the quarterbacks position, and he fills the role in Cincinnati left vacant with Fredi Knighten being promoted to assistant quarterbacks coach.

Falcons Re-Sign LS Liam McCullough

February 23rd, 2024 at 7:55pm CST by Ely Allen

The Falcons don’t have too many free agent decisions to make from their 2023 roster, and they got an important one out of the way today by re-signing long snapper Liam McCullough. As an exclusive rights free agent, McCullough’s only option was to sign his qualifying offer and return to Atlanta for 2024.

McCullough has been around since 2020, when he went undrafted out of Ohio State, but because he spent his rookie and sophomore seasons on practice squads in Las Vegas and Pittsburgh, McCullough only has two accrued seasons, qualifying him as an exclusive rights free agent. Both of those accrued seasons have come in the last two years with the Falcons.

McCullough signed with the Falcons in 2022, replacing former Pro Bowl long snapper Josh Harris, who had departed for the Chargers in free agency. The 26-year-old McCullough has played every game in the last two years for Atlanta, becoming a key member of a Falcons special teams trio that includes kicker Younghoe Koo and punter Bradley Pinion.

The team has two more exclusive rights free agents to handle this offseason. Atlanta will need to make a decision on whether or not to extend qualifying offers to linebacker Nathan Landman and center Ryan Neuzil, as well. Landman finished third on the team in tackles this year, starting 14 games in his sophomore season. Neuzil proved to be a crucial depth piece, as well, starting four games in 2023. The Falcons also have three restricted free agents (quarterback Feleipe Franks, offensive tackle Ethan Greenidge, and defensive tackle Albert Huggins) that they will need to make decisions on this offseason.

Falcons GM Terry Fontenot Addresses QB Pursuit

February 20th, 2024 at 11:59am CST by Adam La Rose

The Falcons are among the teams to watch on the quarterback market this offseason, either through the acquisition of a veteran passer or a rookie via the draft. A firm course of action has yet to be determined, but the organization has a move of some kind high on the to-do list.

Atlanta has 2022 third-rounder Desmond Ridder on his rookie contract for two more seasons. The team brought in veteran Taylor Heinicke last offseason on a two-year, $14MM deal to provide insurance, but neither signal-caller lived up to expectations in 2023. The latter can be released in a move yielding nearly $7MM in cap savings and only $2MM in dead cap charges. Regardless of if that happens, though, the Falcons will need to find a starting-caliber option this spring.

“That’s a top priority for us this offseason,” general manager Terry Fontenot confirmed during an appearance on NFL Network’s NFL Report (video link). “We are not going to close any doors. Be it trades, free agency [or] the draft. We’ll make sure we keep an open mind there. We’ll attack it and make sure that we get it right.”

At this point on the NFL calendar, team executives would generally be expected to keep their options as open as possible when making public remarks. Still, it is notable the Falcons are not leaving any avenue off the table with respect to adding a passer. Aside from Kirk Cousins and Baker Mayfield, few quarterbacks are set to hit the open market who could be worth a lucrative, multi-year investment.

On the trade front, Atlanta has been named as a team which could be a landing spot for Bears QB Justin Fields. Chicago has yet to commit to retaining or dealing Fields, but the latter option would present the Falcons (and other interested teams) with a young passer who could be under team control through at least 2025 via the fifth-year option. Set to pick eighth overall, Atlanta will be out of the range of the top QB draft prospects barring a trade up, but the team will still have options to consider in April.

For the time being, the Falcons have roughly $25MM in cap space. That figure will change during the course of cost-cutting season, but finances should be less of an issue for Atlanta than other QB-needy teams around the league given the inexpensive nature of the incumbent passers. Other roster holes such as receiver and edge rusher will need to be addressed this offseason, but an addition under center remains front of mind for Fontenot and Co. with roughly one month remaining until the new league year.

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