Falcons praised for adding Mack, panned for paying Sanu

Instant free-agent grades are fun to talk about but take them with a grain of salt. With that caveat out of the way, here is a sampling of how the so-called experts are grading the Falcons’ top three free-agent signings:

C ALEX MACK (five years, $20-28 million guaranteed)

Grade: A+

"Getting Mack to anchor the Falcons’ line is a home run. The money is market value, and Mack is the perfect guy to make Matt Ryan comfortable in the pocket. Plus, Mack knows Kyle Shanahan’s system from his days in Cleveland."

Grade: B-

"Mack has been fantastic, and he'll feel at home in Kyle Shanahan's zone-blocking scheme, but the fact of the matter is that he'll turn 31 in November. He could still be able to play on a very high level, but there's a chance that he'll begin to regress soon, given that he's now into his 30s. Either way, the Falcons probably won't be getting Mack at his best, though 90 percent is still great."

Grade: B-plus

"It’s a lot of money for a center, but given that no team lost as many games last year because of the play of their center, it was somewhat necessary. The Falcons retooled offensive line is one of the better ones in the league, especially if Mack can return to his pre-leg break form."

Grade: B

"You could argue that it's a little dangerous to pay that much for a 30-year-old offensive lineman one year removed from a serious lower leg injury, but centers seem to last longer than linemen at other positions. Jeff Saturday, playing in a zone scheme, was effective into his late 30s as a member of the Colts. The Falcons are still built upon a wildly high-variance stars-and-scrubs strategy, and they'll need Mack to stay healthy, but this should give them a massive upgrade at what has been a point of weakness for several years."

WR MOHAMED SANU  (five years, $14 million guaranteed)

Bedard, SI.com

Grade: D-

"Sanu can line up inside or outside, run the ball and throw the ball, but he’s a master of nothing and his hands are inconsistent. At least he would be a No. 2 to Julio Jones and not relied on to be another team’s top target. This deal is contingent on the money, and if the reports are right, this is a massive overpay."

Walterfootball.com

Grade: F (presumably)

"Whoever was responsible for this signing needs to be thrown in prison for stupidity. It's that horrible. In fact, it's so terrible that even Matt Millen, who was notorious for overpaying pedestrian receivers, must be laughing at it. The Falcons should apologize to him for spoiling the mood."

Barnwell, ESPN.com

Grade: C

"The Falcons probably could have picked up somebody like Jeremy Kerley, who was just waived by the Jets, and gotten similar production at a fraction of the price. Unless there's some untapped potential that Sanu hasn't shown behind (Marvin) Jones and A.J. Green, this looks like an overpay with money the Falcons really should have committed to shore up holes in their defense."

DE DERRICK SHELBY (four years, $7.5 million guaranteed)

Bedard, SI.com

Grade: C

"Shelby, a former undrafted free agent with the Dolphins, has developed into a solid lineman and still has room to grow at age 27, but he’s not the kind of difference-maker the Falcons need up front. He’s a good player to have, and he can play outside and then kick inside in sub packages—maybe that’s enough for Atlanta."

Walterfootball.com

Grade: B

"Shelby hasn't started much as a pro, but he looked good playing in place of Cameron Wake last year. He was good in run support and only OK in terms of getting to the quarterback, but he has potential. At four years and $18 million, he's a pretty decent bargain."

ProFootballFocus.com

Grade: B+

"Coming off a year where he had the 10th-highest PFF grade of all 4-3 defensive ends, we expected Shelby to walk away a little richer, so kudos to Atlanta for getting value on a day when not everyone did."

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