National Football League

Falcons offseason preview: Upgrading QB top priority for Raheem Morris

Published Feb. 14, 2024 1:56 p.m. ET

A year ago, the Atlanta Falcons were among the NFL's biggest spenders in free agency, taking advantage of ample salary-cap space and upgrading their defense with safety Jessie Bates, defensive lineman Calais Campbell and linebacker Kaden Elliss, among others.

The net result was still a 7-10 record for a third year in a row, which is why Arthur Smith was fired and Raheem Morris hired as the new head coach, with the hopes of ending Atlanta's run of six straight losing seasons.

The biggest question for Morris will be whether he can find an upgrade at quarterback, the most obvious hole on a talented roster in a position to compete for the NFC South title. The Falcons are in the middle of the pack with about $25 million in cap space, with an easy path to double that with simple restructures on long-term contracts for players with high 2024 base salaries.

Atlanta has the No. 8 overall pick in April's NFL Draft, likely out of range to land one of what are perceived as the top three quarterbacks in this class — USC's Caleb Williams, North Carolina's Drake Maye and LSU's Jayden Daniels. They're likely gone in the top four or five picks, which means the Falcons would be left with a prospect like Michigan's J.J. McCarthy, or they'd have to put together a package of draft picks to move up, as Carolina did last year to get Alabama's Bryce Young. A major move to trade into the top two would cost this and next year's first-round picks and then some, but if one of the top three were to fall to say, 5th, the Falcons could potentially move up by dealing this year's top two picks, a reasonable price.

If they went the veteran route, one big name would be Russell Wilson, who is expected to be released by Denver. Offset money in his contract means he might sign for the league minimum of $1.2 million — anything more would come out of what he's already getting from the Broncos — so he could just pick the team he thinks is closest to the playoffs and in need a quarterback. Could Atlanta beat out the likes of Pittsburgh, New England or Las Vegas to land him?

Whether they have a veteran or rookie quarterback, one priority for the Falcons will be upgrading the receiver depth. Arthur Smith's offense focused more on the run and throwing to tight ends, so top receiver Drake London had more targets (110) than all the other Falcons receivers combined, with none of the others getting so much as 20 receptions on the season. Of those, Mack Hollins and Van Jefferson both disappointed last year and are free agents — Jefferson has a history with new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson from their Rams days, but if he came back, it would be on a modest contract.

The Falcons would make sense to pursue the top young receivers available in free agency, like the Colts' Michael Pittman and the Bengals' Tee Higgins, who would give them a strong complement to London they've lacked in his two years in Atlanta. One name that would make sense for depth is Demarcus Robinson, 29, who had four touchdowns with the Rams last season and is from Fort Valley, Ga., not far from Atlanta.

Atlanta doesn't have many unrestricted free agents of their own to worry about — the Falcons traded for former Lions first-round pick Jeff Okudah last year, but Okudah didn't have any interceptions in 2023 and was ranked by Pro Football Focus as the 114th of 127 cornerbacks. He's only 25 and could draw as much as $15 million a year in a down year for corners, but the Falcons could look to the draft for a starter opposite A.J. Terrell, who will be in line for a massive payday of his own next year. Another free agent is outside linebacker Bud Dupree, who tied for the team lead with 6.5 sacks, as well as Campbell, who brought veteran leadership in 2023 but is also turning 38 before the season starts.

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The hiring of Morris — and former University of Washington coach Jimmy Lake as defensive coordinator — means Atlanta is on its third defense in as many seasons, which means there are players brought in under previous systems who might not be a perfect fit. Terrell and Bates are established leaders in the secondary, but you could see Morris and Lake turn to their previous stops to add familiar faces in the secondary.

Some of Morris' best defensive backs with the Rams will be free agents — safety Jordan Fuller and corner Ahkello Witherspoon, who had three interceptions each this past season, as well as safety John Johnson. If Lake wanted to bring in one of his former Huskies defensive backs, he could look at safety Taylor Rapp, who played for Lake in college and Morris with the Rams, getting four interceptions in their Super Bowl season in 2021. Patriots slot corner Myles Bryant, another free agent, also played for Lake at Washington. Another depth free agent who played for Lake and Morris would be defensive lineman Greg Gaines, who had a limited role with the Bucs this past season and is a free agent again.

Atlanta has a full allotment of draft picks at its disposal in April — they'll have at least a bonus third-round pick from their trade of receiver Calvin Ridley to the Jaguars, and that would get bumped to a second-round pick if Jacksonville re-signed him in March. If they're able to address quarterback before the draft, two positions that make sense at No. 8 are receiver — that would be four straight years using a top-10 pick on a skill-position player — and outside linebacker, which remains a top need.

The Falcons doubled their sack total last year, going from 21 in 2022 to 42 in 2023, though defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen left to become the Jaguars' defensive coordinator. Atlanta had 42 sacks without any single player having more than 6.5, so taking an edge with the top pick would be a smart match. The draft's consensus top pass-rusher, Florida State's Jared Verse, will likely be gone before they pick at 8, but a run on quarterbacks and tackles could push him down, and if not, Alabama's Dallas Turner should be there.

Morris has only been gone from Atlanta for three years, but the number of players still on the roster with Atlanta is low — three key offensive linemen in Jake Matthews, Chris Lindstrom and Kaleb McGarry, defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, Terrell, and a few others like fullback Keith Smith and kicker Younghoe Koo. By the time he has his first game on the sidelines in September, there will be even more turnover and change to the roster, a necessary part of taking that elusive step forward from 7-10 again and again.

Greg Auman is FOX Sports’ NFC South reporter, covering the Buccaneers, Falcons, Panthers and Saints. He is in his 10th season covering the Bucs and the NFL full-time, having spent time at the Tampa Bay Times and The Athletic. You can follow him on Twitter at @gregauman.