Atlanta, GA
NFC South Check-In, Post-Free Agency Rush: Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons have been busy in free agency, and their first move came before the market even opened when they placed a franchise tag on tight end Kyle Pitts. The fourth-overall pick in the 2021 draft, Pitts is coming off a season in which he set career highs in receptions (88) and touchdown catches (five) and fell just 72 yards shy of his second 1,000-yard campaign. Pitts can negotiate with other teams but the Falcons would retain a right of first refusal on any offer and would receive two first-round draft picks if he signed with another team. Atlanta and Pitts couldstill come to terms on a long-term deal, or he can sign the one-year tender offer of $16.3 million that comes with the tag.
The most noteworthy move the Falcons made once free agency began was also the most cost-effective. Atlanta signed quarterback Tua Tagovailoa after he was released by Miami, and since the Dolphins are still on the hook for Tagovailoa’s $54 million salary for 2026, all the Falcons had to give him was the league minimum. Atlanta is dealing with the uncertainty of whether young passer Michael Penix will be ready for the start of the season following his November ACL tear, and notably Tagovailoa is left-handed, like Penix. Tagovailoa’s time in Miami ended ignominiously, but he threw for 4,624 yards and 29 touchdowns as recently as 2023.
Atlanta also brought in a brand-new kicking duo. With kicker Zane Gonzalez signing in Miami and punter Bradley Pinion a free agent, the team signed veteran kicker Nick Folk to a two-year deal and former Dolphins punter Jake Bailey to a three-year pact.
A number of Atlanta’s other moves in the early days of free agency mirrored roster losses, or anticipated losses, at the same positions. With edge rusher James Pearce’s availability rendered uncertain by multiple felony charges in South Florida, following his 10.5-sack rookie campaign, the Falcons signed edges Cam Thomas and Azeez Ojulari from the Browns and Eagles, respectively. Both got one-year deals. Atlanta also brought back a pair of their former pass-catchers in Patriots tight end Austin Hooper and Bears wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus and added wide receiver Jahan Dotson, most recently of the Eagles. There were also a couple of depth signings on defense in Texans linebacker Christian Harris and Chargers’ defensive tackle Da’Shawn Hand.
The Falcons needed to add another option at quarterback after the much-anticipated release of veteran Kirk Cousins. Atlanta designed Cousins as a post-June 1 cut to spread out the sizeable dead cap hit resulting from his release; the move actually created a couple millions worth of cap space in 2026. Edge rusher Leonard Floyd has not been re-signed and the team also released wide receivers KhaDarel Hodge and Darnell Mooney. Monney subsequently signed with the Giants. The Falcons did re-signed defensive tackle LaCale London, who had five sacks in 13games last year.
The first week of free agency proved to be a two-way street for the Falcons, as a handful of notable contributors found new jobs elsewhere in the NFL. Linebacker Kaden Elliss, who had 107 tackles and 3.5 sacks in 2025, got the biggest deal, returning to his original team in New Orleans for three years and $33 million after three seasons with Atlanta. Other losses on defense included cornerback Dee Alford (two years and $15.75 million in Buffalo), defensive tackle David Onyemata (one year and $10.5 million with the Jets) and edge rusher Arnold Ebiketie (one year and $7.3 million in Philly). Onyemata and Elliss each started all 17 games in 2025 and Onyemata has started 47 of 51 games since signing with the Falcons in 2023.
Running back Tyler Allgeier, a productive complementary back for four seasons in Atlanta, left for a potentially larger role with the Arizona Cardinals on a two-year, $12.5 million deal. Allgeier scored a career-high eight rushing touchdowns in 2025. Guard Elijah Wilkinson ended up starting a career-high 17 games in 2025 after a season-ending injury to right tackle Kaleb McGary, but he is now moving on to Arizona on a two-year deal.
By winning their last four games in 2025 the Falcons finished the season as one of four non-playoff teams with 8-9 records. Of those four, they had the lowest strength of schedule figure (.495) and thus landed the first draft spot in that group, number 13 overall.
The Falcons will not be picking 13th in April, however. That’s because during last year’s draft they sent second and seventh-round picks plus a 2026 first-round selection to the Rams for pick number 26 and a third-rounder. Atlanta used that pick on Pearce, doubling up at the position after taking edge rusher Jalon Walker with their own pick at number 15.
In successive rounds, the Falcons’ pick rotates among that group of four, dropping to 16th in the second round, 15th in the third round and so on. That means the highest pick the team currently owns is number 48 in the second round. Atlanta has a total of five picks, comprised of its own selections in the second, third, fourth, sixth and seventh rounds. The team’s fifth-round pick went to Philadelphia as part of a trade up of five spots in the third round to land safety Xavier Watts.Atlanta is not projected to receive any compensatory picks.
Atlanta could be seeking pass-catching help in the 2026 draft. Drake London is the star of that group but he missed five games due to injury and finished third on the team with 68 receptions. Atlanta’s top two pass-catchers were a tight end (Pitts) and a running back (Bijan Robinson). After London, the wideout with the most receptions was Mooney, with 32, followed by David Sills, with 18. Some receivers who could be available in the middle of the second round are Alabama’s Germie Bernard, Texas A&M’s KC Concepcion and Tennessee’s Chris Brazzell.
The Falcons drafted two edge rushers and two safeties last year and all four should be starting in 2026 so they have improved several areas of their defense with young talent. However, while improving its pass rush enormously, Atlanta still ranked 24th in the NFL against the run while allowing 4.61 yards per carry. With the possibility of an Onyemata departure in free agency, the Falcons might want to buttress their defensive front. They might be able to get Texas Tech’s Lee Hunter or Georgia’s Christen Miller in the second round.
In a shocking turn of events up North in Minnesota, Julius Randle was just moved – for nothing.
In fact, the Timberwolves had to trade down in the 2026 NBA Draft in order to offload Randle’s negatively-viewed contract. A once All-NBA 2nd-Team player, Randle’s fall from grace is nothing short of jaw-dropping.
Amidst the loss of a seriously talented player who fell victim to a league enthralled with cap flexibility, the Timberwolves can only look on in envy to the Atlanta Hawks – the very team that stole their apparent alternative out from under them last summer.
Julius Randle’s shocking negative value in the new CBA
Ten years ago, Julius Randle’s contract (adjusted for inflation, at least) would not have resulted in a negative-value trade as it did in 2026.
With the new collective bargaining agreement, teams must now be ultra-focused on creating cap flexibility for themselves moving forward – especially when other players are due a pay day on their squad.
The Timberwolves have a large chunk of their cap space eaten up by Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert – a very talented duo at the guard and center positions. This leaves the rest of the roster limited room to work with. Needing to extend Ayo Dosunmu (which happened immediately after the Randle trade), Randle was ultimately dealt away, purely to create room for the rest of the roster.
While the Wolves lost Randle, it unfortunately could have all been prevented if they had made another choice last season – choosing Nickeil Alexander-Walker over the older Randle.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s value transcends his presence on the court
Outside of the tantalizing abilities that NAW exhibited on a nightly basis en route to earning MIP honors in the 2025-2026 season for the Hawks, his value is far, far greater thanks to the steal of a deal that Onsi Saleh negotiated last summer.
At nearly the same time that Julius Randle was inking the very contract that led to his parting from the Wolves, Alexander-Walker was agreeing to a deal that would secure his place in Atlanta on an incredibly team-friendly deal through at least 2027-2028.
Alexander-Walker’s $15M/yr deal was less than half of what Randle agreed to. A year separated from both contracts being finalized, and the consensus around NAW and Randle couldn’t be more disparate.
While Randle’s inefficient offense hindered his squad time and again, Alexander-Walker’s two-way play headlined by his stellar perimeter defense and lights-out three-point shooting skyrocketed him towards near All-Star levels of play.
Thanks entirely to both the Timberwolves’ inability to recognize the gift right in front of them and the Hawks’ keen eye to spot a diamond in the rough, the two franchises are miles apart this Summer. While Atlanta vies for contention atop the wide-open Eastern Conference, the Timberwolves may be struggling to retain their franchise superstar.
Will Anthony Edwards finally be on the move after a saga of blunders from his front office? Doubtfully anytime soon. But when his time in Minnesota inevitably reaches its conclusion, the Hawks must be ready – the Atlanta native Antman no doubt sees the Hawks as a top alternative.
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This extension reportedly replaces the franchise tag Pitts signed earlier this spring, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Per the report, Pitts will not play on the $15 million franchise tag and instead receive the $36 million fully guaranteed on the new deal over the next two seasons.
The No. 4 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Pitts had a resurgent year in 2025 and showcased the playmaking abilities that made him such an enticing prospect. He caught a career-high 88 passes for 928 yards and five touchdowns, his most as a pro. Atlanta placed the franchise tag on Pitts earlier this offseason, ensuring he remained a Falcon for the 2026 season.
“They trusted that they see something in (me), and that’s pretty cool to see,” Pitts said of the franchise tag during OTAs. “It’s a new year. It’s already signed, and it’s going to be a good year.”
With an extension reportedly in place, Pitts is part of the team’s future for years to come.
Pitts turns 26 next season and is entering his first year working with head coach Kevin Stefanski, who got strong production from the tight end position while coaching the Cleveland Browns. That was particularly true of David Njoku, who has some similarities to Pitts. However, Pitts gives Stefanski and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees a weapon unlike any they’ve had.
The early reviews through OTAs and mandatory minicamp have been strong for Pitts. The new staff has praised Pitts’ buy-in with their program and the effort he’s shown both on and off the field.
“Kyle’s, again, a guy that is here working like crazy. Takes coaching,” Stefanski said during OTAs. “The physical skill set is obvious when Kyle’s on the field, with how big he is and how he moves. But I’ve been impressed with what we’re asking him to do, a couple new things for him. As your players continue on in their career, you want to find out more, what else is in there and what else can we do, and what can we help you with? So I think Kyle’s been outstanding in that regard of trying to continue to get better in so many areas.”
At his best, he offers the kind of matchup maneuverability that ignites an offensive coordinator’s imagination. That ability was most clearly on display in the Falcons’ thrilling 29-28 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday Night Football in Week 15 last season. As the focal point of Atlanta’s offense, Pitts caught 11 passes for 166 yards and three touchdowns.
“I love the position because of the versatility that it provides an offense,” Stefanski said. “And you’ve seen it around the league. This is nothing new or Earth-shattering, but tight ends that can line up all over make life hard on a defense. Whether you can line them up outside, in the backfield, in line, you name it, we love versatility at that position.”
As a rookie, Pitts burst onto the scene and finished the 2021 season with the second-most yards ever by a rookie tight end. His second year was cut short by a knee injury, the impact of which carried throughout the 2023 season as well. With the injuries and changes at the quarterback position since his arrival, consistency has been a focus for Pitts.
Despite those factors, Pitts has gained the third-most receiving yards by a tight end since he entered the league. He has averaged 12.6 yards per reception, which ranks fourth among his position, and has caught 15 touchdowns. Notably, he has improved in that metric with each successive season.
This report comes soon after wide receiver Drake London signed a new extension with the organization, keeping one of the best young outside weapons in the NFL on the roster. With Pitts now reportedly in the fold with a new extension and Bijan Robinson entering his fourth year, the Falcons will continue to have a trio of dynamic playmakers on offense.
A second-team All-Pro in 2025, the arrow is pointing up for Pitts. He is currently 13th on that Falcons’ all-time receiving yards list and has the fourth-most career yards by an Atlanta tight end. With 650 yards next season, Pitts will climb to second on the career yardage list for Falcons tight ends. If he repeats what he did last year, Pitts will not only take over the top spot, surpassing the great Jim Mitchell, but he will climb to sixth on the Falcons’ all-time receiving list, regardless of position.
“I think Kyle is going to be a big piece of this thing,” Falcons passing game coordinator Tanner Engstrand said of Pitts. “He had huge production last year. He’s clearly one of the top guys in the league at that spot. Hopefully, we see a lot more of what we saw last year out of him, and he can continue on that upward trend.”
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