FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Falcons have spent more than $100 million on free agents this offseason, drafted shiny pieces for the offense in the first rounds of the last three drafts and almost completely rebuilt the roster since 2021, and none of that is even the most significant change in how this franchise has been run in recent years.
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It has been so … peaceful.
No panic to restructure contracts. No catering to overpaid and underperforming veterans. No complacency, no entitlement. No hand-wringing in football ops about negotiations while the owner declares a player should be a “Falcon for life.” No drama or kissing up to powerful agents or embarrassing public missteps, other than that bizarre dance with Deshaun Watson (for which there was so much backlash that owner Arthur Blank has taken a significantly lower profile with the media ever since).
The Falcons have become an actual football organization, run by two men, general manager Terry Fontenot and coach Arthur Smith. They suffered the pain from two years in salary cap hell, ran through 70 players in 2021 and 66 in 2022, played no favorites, identified who was all in, developed some young players in the process and have come out the other end of the car wash looking like something you’re not embarrassed to park in front of a nice restaurant.
“I feel like a coach who’s been on probation with only 50 scholarships out of 85 — and now it’s, ‘All right, things are even,’” Smith told The Athletic.
GO DEEPER
Falcons 2023 draft takeaways: A lot is riding on the pick of Bijan Robinson at No. 8
Smith and Fontenot both did their research on the Falcons. They couldn’t anticipate Calvin Ridley would be suspended but they knew they were inheriting a toxic waste dump of an inbox, from cap issues to two former stars (Matt Ryan, Julio Jones) who no longer produced to the level of their salaries to too many players who had become lazy or malcontents without fear of repercussion — like losing their jobs. It’s easier for new regimes to get the attention of players because they don’t have to worry about making some of their past decisions look good. But Smith is certainly more old-school in his ways than Dan Quinn, a little more Belichickian. He has their back but more importantly, he commands their respect with blunt honesty.
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Smith told The Athletic when he, Fontenot and Rich McKay sat down with Blank in 2021, they made it clear there was only one true path to success, and that was going to include some pain. That could not have been an easy reality for Blank to swallow. He is all about image and marketing, and two years of slash-and-burn likely would mean losing and empty seats at home games.
“Rich has a good understanding of the league and the situation financially,” Smith said. “We explained it would take two years, possibly three, depending on Option A or Option B. We said we understand the best thing to do is to eat this because we’re going through a transition anyway. These guys, whether we want them to play forever or not, they’re not. They’re on the back nine of their career. There was a clear understanding where we wanted to go. We were going to make a lot of transactions, we were going to try to find a lot of guys who would take these one-year deals, get this draft class as best we can, and then go from there.”
Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, Deion Jones, Dante Fowler, others, gone. Only Jones remains a significant driveway stain ($12 million in dead money but a worthy sunk cost).
Cleansing breath. It’s over.
The Falcons signed or traded for 13 new players in free agency, including at least six potential starters on defense (safety Jessie Bates, cornerback Jeff Okudah, linemen Calais Campbell and David Onyemata, linebackers Kaden Elliss and Bud Dupree). The 13 contracts included more than $103 million in guaranteed money. On top of that, they’ve extended or re-signed eight players, notably guard Chris Lindstrom ($102.5 million total/$48.2 million guaranteed), tackle Kaleb McGary ($34.5 million/$15 million) and Lorenzo Carter ($7 million/$5.25 million).
It’s good to have money.
“It’s been a lot of fun,” Fontenot said. But he quickly added, “There were other teams in the same range (of offers), so it’s not like we just said, ‘We’re going to offer more money than anybody else.’ The players really wanted to be here.”
A defense that finished 27th overall and 23rd in points allowed should be significantly better. We’ll find out how good Desmond Ridder really is because his protection and run blocking should be improved and he now has three former No. 1 picks around him — running back Bijan Robinson, tight end Kyle Pitts and wide receiver Drake London.
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The angst by some over the Falcons drafting a running back eighth overall was predictable but silly. Robinson was the best player on the board — some believed the best player in the draft — and fills a need. He can run, catch and be used in space. He fits Smith’s desire for a power running attack and gives the coach/play caller a viable option when looking to attack opposing defensive shells. Where’s the downside?
Smith: “People talk about these vague theories, ‘You have to do this. You have to do that.’ Some people get really arrogant with their takes and they get proven wrong.’”
This was Smith’s plan all along — to strengthen around a young quarterback before throwing him in there. Ridder didn’t replace Marcus Mariota until late last season.
“Those were good football teams that Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger stepped into, and as they found success and won, and they started getting bigger contracts, they were playing at a different level,” Smith said. “And I’m not saying anything bad about Tom Brady. But people forget when he went in there in his second year, that was a really good defense. (To Smith’s point: Brady had 18 touchdowns with 12 interceptions, 41 sacks, 12 fumbles and an 86.5 rating in his first year as the starter in 2001 when the Patriots won the Super Bowl. Six years later: 50 TDs, 8 interceptions, 21 sacks, 6 fumbles, 117.2 rating.)
Depending on Ridder’s development, this could be a playoff team this season, a team that wins the NFC South. Smith kept his players’ morale high through two 7-10 seasons and a blur of transactions. They haven’t been good but that’s been more a byproduct of buying players who’ve been marked down than effort or culture.
“Even in the last two years, nobody wanted to go out there and see a lifeless team,” Smith said.
The payoff should be coming.
(Top photo of Bijan Robinson: Todd Rosenberg / Getty Images)