Former Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith mismanaged tight end Kyle Pitts during the 2023 season, but the organization’s answer for a second tight end has been hailed as one of the NFL’s worst free agent signings of the 2024 offseason.
Bleacher Report’s Ryan Fowler combed through all of this offseason’s signings and labeled the Falcons’ Charlie Woerner addition as one of the 14-worst.
“Charlie Woerner is by no means a signing that will sway the pendulum of Atlanta’s offensive success,” Fowler writes for B/R. “However, with three selections in the third and fourth rounds in this year’s NFL draft, GM Terry Fontenot could have opted to add fresh, more dynamic legs in space to play opposite of Kyle Pitts.
“While Woerner remained one of the premier in-line blockers available on the market, the days of the run-heavy attack under Arthur Smith are long gone. Now, it’s not to say newly hired OC Zac Robinson won’t feed the likes of Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier, but Atlanta paid QB Kirk Cousins handsomely for a reason, and waiting to add spry legs at tight end via the draft could have further expanded the playbook.”
To Fowler’s point, Pro Football Focus credits Woerner with a meager 36 pass-blocking grade for the 2023 campaign, and he has not surpassed a pass-blocking grade of 75 through his first four seasons.
Whether Woerner’s blocking prowess improves or will wind up paying dividends that make Atlanta’s three-year, $12-million commitment worthwhile remains to be seen.
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