Falcons hope low-cost free agent class will make big splash

Updated Mar. 25, 2021 3:50 p.m. ET

Associated Press

ATLANTA (AP) — With little money to spend in free agency, the Atlanta Falcons are looking to make a splash with overachieving players who don't take a big chunk out of the budget.

That includes a guy who once worked in a potato chip factory.

Safety Erik Harris epitomizes

Atlanta also signed linebacker Brandon Copeland and

This group is unlikely to stir much excitement among a fan base turned off by three straight losing seasons.

But the Falcons had few options because of salary cap woes that forced the team to cut ties with established players such as Riccardo Allen, Alex Mack and Keanu Neal.

Atlanta only got under the greatly reduced cap when quarterback Matt Ryan agreed to restructure his massive contract. And there are still major holes to fill including a backup for Ryan, who is the only QB on the roster.

Even though the Falcons

“I don't look at this as a no-hope rebuild — not with the talent we have on this roster,” said the 33-year-old Smith, who considered retirement until the Bills worked out a trade to send him to a team closer to his Tennessee home. “We have elite starters in certain positions.”

That starts with Ryan and longtime star receiver Julio Jones, who battled injuries while playing just nine games last season.

“I've been doing this long enough to know that without a quarterback, it's going to be a long year," Smith said. "When you walk into a locker room with Matt Ryan and Julio Jones, it doesn't matter who you put around them. If you do things the right way, you're going to score some points.”

The Falcons are counting on Davis to bolster a running game that ranked 27th in the league a year ago with Todd Gurley carrying the load.

On Thursday, the team completed a reported two-year, $5.5 million contract with Davis that includes $3 million in guaranteed money — the team's biggest outlay in free agency.

The Falcons also announced one-year deals with Mingo, who made three starts for the Bears in 2020, and Moreau, expected to contribute mainly on special teams after four seasons with the Washington Football Team.

Davis is coming off his best season at Carolina, where he rushed for 642 yards and six touchdowns and added 59 receptions out of the backfield while filling in for injured Christian McCaffrey.

Notably,

Atlanta is the fifth stop in Davis' seven-year career, which raises some red flags. But the Falcons believe he finally found his niche during that breakout season with the Panthers, and hope the chance to play in his hometown will spark even more production.

On the defensive side, Harris will lead a revamped secondary that no longer has

The 30-year-old Harris has a great backstory: He walked on at a Division II school, was passed over initially by every NFL team, and played three years in the Canadian Football League.

He even spent a summer working at the Utz chip factory in Hannover, Pennsylvania.

“It was the worst job in the whole plant,” Harris recalled. “I worked above 600-degree ovens and it was about 110 degrees in there every day. ... Did that for 11 hours a day for a whole summer. I do not miss that job, but I am thankful for that job.”

Like Harris, Copeland was not drafted after his college career. He's been cut several times and bounced around the league — the Falcons are his sixth team in nine years — but never lost confidence in his abilities.

“My work ethic hasn't changed,” Copeland said Thursday. “This is a great opportunity to build a foundation, build a culture, start from the ground up but start fast.”

Harris finally earned his place in the league, starting 26 of 30 games for the Raiders over the last two seasons.

He never forgets where he came from.

“It's all part of my brand,” Harris said. “The journey has been amazing.”

The Falcons hope that journey includes another unexpected chapter.

A winning team in 2021.

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More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL m ir are hoping for another unexpected chapter to Harris journey.