In the offseason of 2023, the Atlanta Falcons made a notable decision to not pursue Lamar Jackson, who was in a contract standoff with the Baltimore Ravens. However, this decision turned out to be a mistake as Jackson went on to have a successful season and led his team to the playoffs.
Moving onto the 2024 offseason, the Falcons made another significant decision to pass on hiring Bill Belichick as their head coach and instead opted for Raheem Morris.
This decision will likely be notable if Morris is unable to lead the team to the postseason or make significant improvements.
The Falcons were eliminated from playoff contention on the final day of the regular season, which led to the firing of Arthur Smith as head coach.
The team was believed to have strong offensive capabilities with young stars such as Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts but were ultimately unable to achieve their goals. This led to the hiring of Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot, who will be tasked with finding the right quarterback for the team if Desmond Ridder is not the answer.
The team has several key free agents, including DE Calais Campbell, RB Cordarrelle Patterson, EDGE Bud Dupree, CB Jeff Okudah, and WR Van Jefferson.
Fontenot has expressed a desire to bring back Campbell, but the new coaching regime may have other plans. Patterson may not have a significant role in the team’s future plans due to the presence of Robinson and Tyler Allgeier in the backfield. Okudah has not lived up to his high draft pick potential and is likely to leave, while Dupree and Jefferson are open to returning to the team.
The Falcons have several areas of need in free agency, including quarterback, edge rusher, and secondary. The team took a chance on Ridder as a third-round steal but may need to look for other options. Defensively, the team may need to upgrade a line that did not produce enough sacks, despite the presence of Campbell and Dupree.
The team also needs to improve its secondary as their low-risk trade for Okudah did not result in significant improvements.
Overall, the Falcons’ decisions in the 2023 and 2024 offseasons have been notable, but their success in the future will be determined by their ability to make the right moves in free agency and the draft.
The team has several areas of need that must be addressed if they hope to improve upon their previous season and make it to the playoffs.
