Atlanta, GA

Breaking down the Falcons’ roster after first wave of free agency

Published

3 months ago

March 15, 2026

Breaking down the Falcons’ roster after first wave of free agency

Examining each position group following Atlanta’s latest free-agent signings.

The Atlanta Falcons have already made some notable changes after the first week of NFL free agency. Multiple starters, including linebacker Kaden Elliss, defensive tackle David Onyemata and wide receiver Darnell Mooney, are no longer in Atlanta.

Meanwhile, the team has added over a dozen new players, including quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, edge rusher Azeez Ojulari and defensive tackle Da’Shawn Hand. The Falcons surely aren’t done yet, but they’ve done enough to warrant an updated roster breakdown.

Here’s a quick look at each position position group on the 2026 roster after the first wave of NFL free agency (new players in bold).

Quarterback (2)

Michael Penix Jr. (9)
Tua Tagovailoa

Tagovailoa replaces Kirk Cousins in Atlanta’s quarterback room this season. The former No. 5 pick was released by the Dolphins two years into a four-year, $212 million extension he signed in 2024. Tagovailoa signed with the Falcons for the league minimum and is expected to compete with Michael Penix Jr. for the starting QB job in 2026.

Running Back (3)

Bijan Robinson (7)
Carlos Washington Jr. (23)
Nathan Carter (25)

Former Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier signed a two-year, $12.2 million contract with the Arizona Cardinals. The team has yet to add any free-agent running backs, but they have two former undrafted free agents with decent upside in Nathan Carter and Carlos Washington Jr. We’ll see if the team adds anyone over next few weeks in free agency or in the 2026 NFL Draft next month.

Wide Receiver (7)

Drake London (5)
Chris Blair (19)
Dylan Drummond (81)
Casey Washington (82)
Deven Thompkins (83)
Jahan Dotson
Olamide Zaccheaus

The Falcons said goodbye to Darnell Mooney and KhaDarel Hodge at the start of NFL free agency, freeing up roughly $10 million cap space. The team used that money to sign former first-round pick Jahan Dotson to a two-year, $15 million contract. Atlanta also brought back Olamide Zaccheaus, who began his career with the Falcons as an undrafted free agent.

Tight End (4)

Kyle Pitts (8)
Charlie Woerner (89)
Joshua Simon (47)
Austin Hooper

The Falcons used the franchise tag on Kyle Pitts, keeping the former top-five pick in Atlanta for at least one more season. Joining Pitts is former Falcons third-round pick Austin Hooper. Plus, veteran Charlie Woerner returns for another year. Hooper can provide some depth to what should be a solid tight end room in Atlanta this season.

Offensive Linemen (11)

Jake Matthews (70)
Matthew Bergeron (65)
Ryan Neuzil (64)
Chris Lindstrom (63)
Kaleb McGary (76)
Andrew Steuber (62)
Kyle Hinton (68)
Jack Nelson (69)
Michael Jerrell (72)
Storm Norton (77)
Corey Levin

Atlanta let Jovaughn Gwyn and Elijah Wilkinson walk in free agency. While Gwyn was a backup, Wilkinson started all 17 games for the Falcons last season in place of injured right tackle Kaleb McGary. Wilkinson signed with the Arizona Cardinals. The Falcons signed veteran Corey Levin. The former Titans offensive lineman can provide depth at center and guard this season.

Defensive Linemen (8)

Brandon Dorlus (53)
Ruke Orhorhoro (98)
Zach Harrison (96)
Elijah Garcia (91)
LaCale London (94)
Ben Stille (95)
Da’Shawn Hand
Chris Williams

The Falcons lost veteran David Onyemata, who signed a one-year deal with the New York Jets in free agency, and signed former Chargers defensive lineman Da’Shawn Hand as a replacement. Hand started 13 games last year. Plus, the team signed former Bears defensive tackle Chris Williams for depth. LaCale London also returns after posting a career-high five-sacks last season. Meanwhile, Kentavius Street departed for Chicago.

Linebackers (6)

Divine Deablo (0)
Troy Andersen (44)
JD Bertrand (40)
Malik Verdon (43)
Christian Harris
Channing Tindall

The big loss here is Kaden Elliss. The veteran linebacker signed a three-year $33 million contract with the rival New Orleans Saints. The Falcons added former Georgia Bulldog Channing Tindall and former Texans linebacker Christian Harris. It’s going to take more than one player to replace Elliss, which appears to be the team’s approach situation in free agency. Divine Deablo returns following a tremendous first season in Atlanta, and Troy Andersen is back on a revised contract. Andersen’s versatility could give him an inside track to the starting job.

EDGE (6)

Jalon Walker (11)
James Pearce Jr. (27)
Balen Trice (48)
Azeez Ojulari
Samson Ebukam
Cameron Thomas

The Falcons have added three players to their edge group thus far, signing veterans Azeez Ojulari, Samson Ebukam and Cameron Thomas. These three will help replace Arnold Ebiketie, Leonard Floyd and potentially James Pearce Jr., if he has to miss time this season. On paper, this looks like one of the better edge groups in the NFL.

Cornerbacks (9)

A.J. Terrell (24)
Mike Hughes (21)
Billy Bowman Jr. (33)
Cobee Bryant (37)
Clark Phillips III (22)
C.J. Henderson (39)
Natrone Brooks (35)
Mike Ford Jr. (28)
A.J. Woods (30)

The Falcons haven’t made any moves to their secondary, aside from re-signing Natrone Brooks. Starters A.J. Terrell and Mike Hughes will both return in 2026. However, Dee Alford landed a three-year contract with the Buffalo Bills. Cobee Bryant and Clark Phillips III could be in for a bigger roles. Plus, promising rookie Billy Bowman Jr. should be back in his starting nickel role, assuming he has fully recovered from his Achilles injury.

Safeties (5)

Jessie Bates III (3)
Xavier Wats (31)
DeMarcco Hellams (23)
Jammie Robinson (34)
Tysheem Johnson (41)

The team hasn’t made any changes at safety thus far, but starters Jessie Bates III and Xavier Watts will be back in 2026. The play-making duo combined for eight interceptions last season. Former seventh-round pick DeMarcco Hellams is set to return for his fourth season.

Special Teams (4)

K: Nick Folk
P: Jake Bailey
LS: Liam McCullough (49)
P: Gil Trenton (32)

The Falcons signed kicker Nick Folk and punter Jake Bailey in free agency as replacements for Zane Gonzalez and Bradley Pinion. Meanwhile, veteran long snapper Liam McCullough returns for another season.

Source link

Click to comment

Atlanta, GA

With World Cup, Atlanta Seeks to Show How It Has Moved on From 1990s Notoriety

Published

1 hour ago

June 5, 2026

Press Room

With World Cup, Atlanta Seeks to Show How It Has Moved on From 1990s Notoriety

By Rich McKay ATLANTA, June 5 (Reuters) – When Atlanta hosted the 1996 Olympics, police were accused of ⁠arresting ⁠homeless people by the thousands. The crackdown resulted in a ⁠welter of lawsuits and news stories that caused long-term damage to the city’s reputation. Now the Georgia state capital …

Source link

Atlanta, GA

Caitlin Clark’s stats Thursday in Indiana Fever vs Atlanta game

Published

12 hours ago

June 4, 2026

Press Room

Caitlin Clark’s stats Thursday in Indiana Fever vs Atlanta game

Hawk Central staff report
| Des Moines Register

Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever continued their 2026 WNBA regular season with a 83-71 win against the Atlanta Dream on Thursday, June 4.

Clark, a former Iowa women’s basketball star, and the Fever are 5-4 after the first nine games of the regular season.

Here’s a look at how Clark fared in Thursday’s game in Atlanta:

Caitlin Clark stats today in Indiana Fever vs Atlanta Dream

Minutes: 31
Points: 17
Rebounds: 7
Assists: 8
Blocks: 1
Steals: 0
Turnovers: 3
Fouls: 4
FG shooting: 6-for-17
3-point shooting: 2-for-8
Free throws: 3-for-4

Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever upcoming games

June 6: at New York Liberty, 7 p.m. CT, CBS
June 8: at Washington Mystics, 6 p.m. CT, Peacock and NBC Sports Network
June 11: vs Chicago Sky, 6 p.m. CT, Prime

Source link

Atlanta, GA

I-285 vanishes: Another full closure set for this weekend | What to know

Published

22 hours ago

June 4, 2026

Press Room

I-285 vanishes: Another full closure set for this weekend | What to know

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — Metro Atlanta, clear your calendars and get your First Alert Traffic alerts ready: Interstate 285 is about to disappear for the weekend — again.

The Ga. Dept. of Transportation (GDOT) plans to completely shut down both directions of I-285 on the Westside between SR 139/MLK Jr. Drive (Exit 9) and Cascade Road (Exit 7) for a full weekend of work tied to the massive I-285 Westside rebuild.

This is the second of multiple full closures for the I-285 rebuild.

When it happens

Start: 7 p.m. Friday, June 5
End: 5 a.m. Monday, June 8

Translation: If you normally “just hop on 285 real quick,” you won’t.

Why is I-285 closing

GDOT says crews need the uninterrupted time to keep the project on schedule, doing work like milling/grinding pavement and prepping for slab repair and replacement. The broader project covers about 10 miles, costs $206 million, and is slated to wrap in 2028.