Why a Cheap Free Agency Approach May Prove Successful for the Atlanta Falcons
As the first week of NFL free agency winds down, a lot of noise has been made from big trades and massive signings. A team that’s been relatively quiet has been the Atlanta Falcons. General manager Ian Cunningham has made it clear that the team will remain patient with most of the core for the 2026 season. His approach to free agency has been cheap, tactically cheap. With the limited cap space Atlanta has to work with, choosing affordable players rather than overspending may prove successful for the team.
From an outsider's point of view, the 2026 free agent class is on the weaker side compared to previous years. The star power may be lacking, but there is still a plethora of depth pieces that Atlanta has gone after to fill holes on their roster. The wide receiver position was a massive question mark coming into the offseason with the departures of Darnell Mooney and Khadarel Hodge. Knowing they have around $20 million of cap space to spend, Cunningham and his staff decided to take a flyer on former top draft pick Jahan Dotson, bringing him in on a two-year $15 million contract. The former Eagle accumulated 1,519 yards and 12 touchdowns throughout his four seasons in the NFL. Atlanta also added wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus and veteran Austin Hooper for their second stint in the big A. Both signed one-year contracts and add depth to the lacking pass-catching room that was looking quite dim outside of Kyle Pitts and Drake London. Instead of trading draft capital or further pushing the cap limits with a big pass-catching signing, Cunningham and his staff have gone for depth over star power. Atlanta will likely add another pass-catcher come draft night, which adds more cheap depth to the position at minimum. Another flyer Atlanta took a chance on was signing former Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to a one-year, one-point-three million dollar contract. Despite the fan and media backlash that Tagovailoa may bring, the contract is objectively great for the Falcons. Getting a starting-level quarterback well below market value with the trouble they’ve had at quarterback is a low-risk, but completely necessary signing. Cunningham has stated, "For Tua, coming in here, he knows he's coming in to compete, just like Michael knows that he's coming in to compete.” At worst, Atlanta will pay little for Tagovailoa and move on to the next quarterback. The options for quarterback were limited as well, and finding a veteran at such a low offer keeps the books open to further improve the blanks on the roster.
On the opposite side of the ball, Atlanta has gone with the same approach as their offense: Buy low on cheap depth pieces and reclamation projects. Veterans David Onyemata and Kaden Ellis are on their way out, and the looming legal situation with James Pearce Jr, Atlanta has holes to fill on their front seven. Atlanta bought in cheap, younger depth pieces to fill in their spots; former Texans linebacker Christian Harris and former Browns defensive end Cameron Thomas are a few of the players signed. The pattern continues, a depth piece in Thomas and a breakout candidate in Harris. It’s the exact strategy when it comes to signing free agents on the offensive side of the ball. It’s not the most soundproof way of making a Super Bowl-contending roster, but it gives Atlanta something that the previous regime squandered: cap flexibility. Not only do these cheap signings fill holes on the roster, but they also allow Atlanta to have a way out of them without having to hug the cap ceiling. Atlanta will have over $150 million to work with in 2027, and not splurging on a weak free agent class this year is the perfect way to keep the books open for the future.
