The Falcons have inked several of the team’s impending free agents. Liam McCullough was Atlanta’s first significant free agent signing; Parker Hesse signed as an exclusive rights free agent, and Lorenzo Carter was the Falcons’ first multi-year free agent deal this year.
The Georgia native totaled 58 tackles, 12 quarterback hits, four sacks, one fumble recovery, one interception, and two touchdowns in his first season with his hometown team. He did enough to warrant another contract, but I was skeptical.
Lorenzo Carter is a fine player and one who fits well culturally. He was expected to be the leader of his position group, which he was, but the sack and pressure numbers were underwhelming.
Carter just isn’t a guy that can give a defense double-digit sacks. Granted, he does a ton of the little things that don’t show up on the stat sheet, which is why he deserved another contract. Carter is a rotational edge defender, and I was hopeful Atlanta was paying him like one; it seems they are:
$4.5 million per year for Carter is a very reasonable deal. $5.25 million guaranteed would tell me that it’s a one-year deal with minimal dead money in 2024 if the team chooses to move off the veteran. There seems also to be incentives built into the contract, likely tied to sacks, playing time, etc.
It’s a more than palatable deal. I was worried this would be the addition to the edge room this offseason, but at $4.5 million, the Falcons have plenty of cap space to make another signing. Allocating another $10-15 million to the position group should still enable Terry Fontenot to fill out the rest of the roster.
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