If the Falcons’ 2021 season began at the present moment, only one safety would report to the team facility.
The only player at the position under contract is Jaylinn Hawkins, a hard-hitting safety who the previous regime selected in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL draft. Hawkins mostly saw rotational time this past season, although he did get two starts against the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers because of early-season injuries.
Hawkins suffered a concussion against the Packers, however, and missed three games before returning to rotational and special-teams duties.
Otherwise, three of the other Falcons safeties have contracts expiring, with another getting released last week.
Ricardo Allen was the veteran safety the new coaching staff decided to part ways with. Allen was to make $6.25 million in 2021, with the Falcons cutting him to trim that figure from the salary cap. Allen has been with the Falcons his entire career, beginning in 2014. Falcons coach Arthur Smith hinted that the salary cap played a major role in this decision.
“Ricardo Allen, he was a heck of a player here,” Smith said. “The circumstances, having to release him. We have all the respect in the world for Rico. We’re going to have to adapt.”
The two safeties set to be free agents are Keanu Neal and Damontae Kazee. Neal played a lot near the line of scrimmage in the previous coaching staff’s defensive scheme and was able to tally 100 total tackles, a sack and three quarterback hits. Neal’s speed and tackling should make him a fit for many teams. The New York Jets, where former Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich holds the same position, would seemingly be a good fit for Neal.
And as the league has shown over the years, all it takes is one team to pay a price too high for another. The Falcons also are in a tough situation where they have to cut over $20 million to ensure it is under a 2021 salary cap that is expected to be between $180-185 million.
For as valuable as Neal has been, a great possibility exists that he becomes priced out of what the team can afford.
Kazee was able to play in only four games before suffering a season-ending Achilles injury. As a free safety, Kazee was on his way to being a rising star in the NFL, especially following a 2018 season that saw him tie for a league-lead seven interceptions. A speedy defender who plays the game with a physical presence, Kazee could be a different story than Neal since he’s coming off of a serious injury. While he could command a decent market, the Falcons may have a decent shot at keeping Kazee in the fold.
Sharrod Neasman has been a rotational safety and special-teams contributor over the past three seasons and could be someone the Falcons consider bringing back on a one-year deal. Neasman started two games late during the 2020 season when Allen suffered a concussion. Neasman has enough game experience to warrant a closer look by the new staff.
Cornerback Isaiah Oliver also is an option to move to safety. He played outside at corner before moving to nickel midway through the year.
“Isaiah’s a guy who’s played inside. We feel good about him,” Smith said. “We’re going to value versatility. But we’re still in the early stages of how we’re going to build this roster in 2021.”
Given the present situation, safety is a major need for the Falcons. Given general manager Terry Fontenot’s preference to draft the best player available, his front office is likely to seek some players to add safety in the second and third tiers of free agency.
“You always work really hard in free agency to bring in players and fill some needs as much as you can,” Fontenot said. “(You) bring in players that fill those needs because that gives you more confidence to move forward with the right approach in the draft. You never want to reach for needs in the draft, but when you address some of those needs prior to the draft … you feel better about going about the right approach in the draft.”
Even so, especially if the Falcons make some moves to accrue extra picks, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise to see the franchise take a defensive back or two in this year’s draft. To do so, most of the value at safety appears to be in the middle rounds.
Given the factors at play, it won’t be an easy process piecing together the safety group for 2021.
“We are working hard to adapt and adjust in some different areas,” Fontenot said. “Regardless of how we’ve been doing things, it’s about doing it the right way moving forward. That’s really been the process up to this point. The pro guys are working really hard getting ready for the free agency process. (We are) working with the coaches to get their clear vision.”
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