The Falcons have been one of the most active teams in free agency, which shouldn’t be a surprise. The club boasted the second most cap space coming into the offseason with a myriad of holes on the roster to fill.
Atlanta has signed several marquee free agents in Jessie Bates III and David Onyemata , but the lesser profile additions are just as important. Terry Fontenot has been heralded for his ability to find diamonds in the rough, and he’s searching for a guard.
Before signing with the Jets, Trystan Colon visited the Falcons and chose New York over Atlanta, according to Mike Garafolo.
The Ravens did not place a tender on the restricted free agent, and Colon reportedly had interest from multiple teams.
The 24-year-old former undrafted free agent spent the last three seasons in Baltimore as a reserve lineman, starting four games, including one at guard last year against the Steelers, in which he impressed.
Most of his experience comes at center, but he projects to compete for a starting guard spot with the Jets. There’s a legitimate chance he will turn into a solid starter in this league; he’s impressed in the few opportunities he’s had.
Conversely, the Falcons are still likely searching for more competition for left guard. Matt Hennessy, Jalen Mayfield, and Justin Shaffer are the internal options, but they aren’t exactly inspiring.
Elijah Wilkinson performed admirably, so a similar team-friendly deal for a veteran should be in the cards. Granted, Atlanta’s offensive line saw a handful of players make starts at left guard with little differentiation in production. So, Fontenot won’t have to spend considerable cap dollars to acquire a competent addition to the competition.
Wilkinson is an option, but there are a number of others — Rodger Saffold, Dalton Risner, Colby Gossett, and Nick Gates. Isaac Seumalo is still available and will cost a significant financial commitment, but it would fortify the Falcons’ offensive line for years to come. The team can’t enter the 2023 season without adding some competition to the left guard position.
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