The Atlanta Falcons entered the 2023 offseason with a ton of cap space; the Chicago Bears were the only team that had more cap space heading into free agency than Atlanta. Terry Fontenot took full advantage of the cap space, upgrading numerous positions on the roster.
Defensively is where the Falcons spent a majority of their money. Jessie Bates III, Kaden Elliss and David Onyemata were all signed early in free agency. Mike Hughes and Calais Campbell were also brought in to upgrade that side of the ball.
The offense didn’t have as splashy of moves, but some upgrades were made there as well. Mack Hollins is a nice pickup at wide receiver and Jonnu Smith will help at tight end along with Kyle Pitts. The offensive line will have continuity as Chris Lindstrom agreed to an extension and Kaleb McGary was re-signed.
Those are all solid moves, but for a team that had as much money as the Falcons did entering the offseason, it is a bit surprising they didn’t make a bigger move. They are a team that has been linked to quarterbacks, but Lamar Jackson doesn’t look like he will be pursued.
That means that the Falcons are content, at least for 2023, going with Desmond Ridder as their starting quarterback. If that is the case, the team should do everything they can to upgrade the weapons around him to give Ridder the best chance at succeeding.
One player who would certainly boost this offense is running back Austin Ekeler. While running back doesn’t look like a pressing need in Atlanta, as they finished No. 3 in the NFL in rushing yardage last season, Ekeler is a versatile weapon that would help in multiple ways.
Their anemic passing game would be upgraded instantly with the addition of Ekeler, who is arguably the best receiving back in the NFL. Tyler Allgeier had 1,035 rushing yards as a rookie but offers virtually nothing in the passing game. Veteran Cordarrelle Patterson just turned 32 and is in the final year of his contract, making running back a sneaky long-term need for Atlanta.
What could a deal between the Falcons and Los Angeles Chargers look like? On an expiring contract and with a compressed running back market, Los Angeles will struggle to get true fair value for Ekeler. Atlanta could offer a fourth- and seventh-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft in exchange for Ekeler.
The Falcons have the means to sign Ekeler to the kind of contract that he is seeking. He is currently 13th among running backs earning $6.125 million annually and is certainly worth more than that. With their salary cap concerns, the Chargers will be happy to get anything in return for him as contract extension talks made it clear they don’t believe they can compensate him in the way he is seeking.
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