The Falcons may need thrown away a worthwhile 2025 draft choose.
On Monday, Atlanta Journal-Structure’s D. Orlando Ledbetter revealed the Falcons and edge-rusher Matthew Judon, who performed on an expiring deal in 2024, have not had contract discussions but this offseason.
The Falcons traded a 2025 third-round choose (No. 77 general) to the Patriots for Judon throughout coaching camp final season.
Judon completed the 12 months with 5.5 sacks, 5 passes defended and an interception. Per Pro Football Focus data, he ranked fourth on the Falcons with 25 complete pressures.
The Falcons solely have 5 picks on this 12 months’s draft, together with a paltry three within the prime 200.
Atlanta was docked a fifth-round pick and fined $250,000 for violating the league’s anti-tampering coverage when signing 2024 free-agent quarterback Kirk Cousins, huge receiver Darnell Mooney and tight finish Charlie Woerner.
The Falcons additionally traded their sixth-round choose to the Rams for huge receiver Van Jefferson and a 2025 seventh-rounder — No. 218 overall earlier than all compensatory picks are awarded — in October 2023.
Atlanta is sending a choose to the Eagles because of circumstances of a 2023 commerce for defensive sort out Kentavius Avenue. Per PhillyVoice’s Jimmy Kempski, the Eagles initially traded Avenue and their 2025 seventh-round choose to the Falcons for a 2024 sixth-rounder beneath the situation that Avenue play six video games for Atlanta in 2023.
In his fifth recreation with the Falcons, he suffered a season-ending pectoral harm, making the ultimate commerce package deal Avenue for Atlanta’s 2025 seventh-rounder.
Atlanta acquired an extra seventh-round choose from the Chargers for quarterback Taylor Heinicke, which may have been a sixth-round choice had Heinicke reached sure benchmarks in Los Angeles.
Most of these transactions failed spectacularly.
Cousins began 14 video games final season earlier than being benched after throwing 9 interceptions and one landing in a five-game span.
Woerner caught seven passes for 46 yards, whereas Jefferson had 12 receptions for 101 yards earlier than signing with the Steelers throughout free company final offseason. Avenue has two sacks in 18 video games for the Falcons and is a pending free agent.
Mooney was the perfect signing, ending 2024 with 64 receptions, 992 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Per Over The Cap, the Falcons are certainly one of 5 groups above the projected 2025 wage cap, at the moment $4.988 million over the estimated $279.5 million cap.
In a difficult monetary scenario, Atlanta may wrestle to control the cap to maintain Judon. Nevertheless it can also’t afford to permit him to stroll.
The Falcons have had the league’s worst go rush beneath normal supervisor Terry Fontenot, and so they cannot count on a rookie edge-rusher (in the event that they choose one within the first spherical) to flip the unit on his personal. Atlanta wants as a lot depth as it may well get.
If Judon departs, the Falcons’ go rush will turn into a good greater concern. With the 2 sides failing to carry discussions, Atlanta dangers that changing into a actuality.
