FLOWERY BRANCH — After re-signing Lorenzo Carter, the Falcons have $62,227,064 under the salary cap and will be major players in free agency.
Only the Chicago Bears ($94.6 million) have more money under the salary cap.
Things will get underway Monday with the start of the league’s official tampering period. Under this rule, teams are allowed to contact and enter into negotiations with certified agents of players set to become free agents.
The new league year and free agency will begin at 4 p.m. Wednesday.
The Falcons have taken the approach that they’ll try to improve their roster in free agency and through Thursday had signed only Carter from their pool of players slated to become free agents.
The Falcons are looking for upgrades in free agency and then in the draft.
Despite all of the cash, the Falcons don’t plan to shoot it out of a money gun at players.
“We have to be cautious,” general manager Terry Fontenot said at the NFL combine. “We are not trying to win a press conference. We want to make sure we are bringing in the right types of players for our building.”
Translation: The Falcons have to beef up the offensive and defensive lines.
Here’s a list of 10 potential free-agent targets who would upgrade the Falcons’ talent base:
Javon Hargrave, DT, Eagles: Despite all of the “cautious” talk and “right types” speak, the Falcons need help stopping the run and getting after the quarterback on defense. The top defensive tackle in free agency is Hargrave, who’s 6-foot-2 and 305 pounds. A seven-year veteran, Hargrave has been to one Pro Bowl. The S.C. State product is durable. He’s played in 111 games and has made 96 starts with the Steelers (2016-19) and Eagles (2020-22). He had a career-high 11 sacks last season playing next to Fletcher Cox and Jordan Davis. He’ll fit nicely next to Grady Jarrett. “Are we going to get all the free agents back?” Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said. “We’re just not. We’re not capable of getting all those guys back.”
Jessie Bates III, S, Bengals: Beat out George Iloka as a rookie and went on to start 79 regular-season games and helped the Bengals reach Super Bowl LVI. A former Wake Forest standout, Bates is 6-1 and 200 pounds. He was named second-team All-Pro after the 2020 season. He played last season on the franchise tag after the Bengals drafted his replacement in Daxton Hill. The Bengals don’t want to let him go but must start freeing cash for quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase. Bates’ agent David Mulugheta released a post on social media and tagged Bates and the Falcons’ A.J. Terrell, Casey Hayward and Kyle Pitts to start the speculation. Bates would help to secure the back end of the defense and leave Richie Grant and Jaylinn Hawkins to compete for the other spot. “We’re not mortgaging the future, but we’re trying to make the best team possible for this coming season,” Cincinnati’s director of player personnel Duke Tobin said.
Dalvin Tomlinson, DT, Vikings: A former Henry County High and Alabama standout, Tomlinson played four seasons for the Giants and was with the Vikings the past two seasons. He’s 6-3 and 325 pounds. He has played in 93 games and made 93 starts. He has 13 career sacks and would help to solidify the interior of the defense. The Vikings voided his contract to buy time to work out an extension before March 15. “Look, we love Dalvin,” Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said. “Same thing whenever you have good players in your building and good people, you want to do everything you can to keep them.”
Mike McGlinchey, OT, 49ers: Matt Ryan’s cousin, McGlinchey is 6-8 and 310 pounds. He perhaps was overdrafted at ninth overall coming out of Notre Dame in 2018. He’s played in 69 games and started mostly at right tackle. The Falcons would have to consider him an upgrade over Kaleb McGary. Both allowed six sacks last season. McGlinchey received a 71.5 Pro Football Focus grade and McGary an 86.6. If the Falcons don’t get a tackle in free agency, they can get one in the draft with the eighth overall pick.
Marcus Davenport, DE, Saints: The Saints traded up to the 14th spot to select Davenport in the 2018 draft. He’s been somewhat of a disappointment over 63 games and 32 starts. He has 21.5 career sacks. He would be reunited with his position coach in Ryan Nielsen.
David Onyemata, DT, Saints: He’s 6-4 and 300 pounds and doesn’t get pushed around in the trenches. He’s played 106 games and made 68 starts over seven seasons. The Saints have a penchant of finding players in Canada and the Canadian Football League. The native of Nigeria played for the University of Manitoba. In addition to playing the run tough, he has 23 sacks.
Nate Davis, G, Tennessee: Coach Arthur Smith was with the Titans when Davis was drafted in the third round in 2019 out of Charlotte. He started 12 of 13 games at right guard as a rookie. He’s played in 55 games, with 54 starts. The Falcons are set at right guard and would have to move Davis to the troubled left-guard spot that saw five different starters in 2022.
Rock Ya-Sin, CB, Raiders: A former state wrestling champ from Southwest DeKalb High, Ya-Sin was drafted in the second round by the Colts in 2019 out of Temple. He played three seasons at left cornerback in Indianapolis before getting traded to Las Vegas. He has played in 52 games and made 38 starts. He has two interceptions and 27 pass breakups. He could move to the right side or play some nickel. He’s a strong man-to-man press cornerback. The Falcons need to improve their man-to-man coverage.
Sheldon Rankins, DT, Jets: He played at Eastside High in Covington before having a stellar career at Louisville. He was picked 12th overall by the Saints in 2016. He played five years with the Saints and the past two with the Jets. He started 15 games last season and could add some stoutness up front. One could see the Falcons going for Hargrave, Tomlinson and then Onyemata or Rankins.
Alex Anzalone, LB, Lions: He was selected in the third round of the 2017 draft by the Saints (notice a theme here??). He started all 17 games for the Lions last season and could replace Rashaan Evans if he leaves in free agency and could help mentor Troy Andersen.
Other free agents potentially on the Falcons’ radar: Dalton Risner, G, Broncos; Isaiah Wynn, OT, Patriots; Darius Slayton, WR, Giants; A’Shawn Robinson, DT, Rams; and Isaac Seumalo, G, Eagles.
