NEWSLETTER
The Falcons finished the 2022 NFL season at 7-10 under head coach Arthur Smith. There are quite a few potential Falcons that will be hitting the free-agent market. Here’s what you need to know about Atlanta Falcons free agency for 2023.
Atlanta Falcons 2023 NFL Free Agents Overview
Marcus Mariota is set to hit free agency but it seems like Desmond Ridder is the quarterback of the future. Ridder started four games last season. The team will be looking for offensive line depth after five linemen including Kaleb McGary see their contracts expire.
The squad sees some receivers heading out including Olamide Zaccheaus (25 years old) who was second on the team with 533 yards receiving. Damiere Byrd is also a free agent after catching two touchdowns last season.
The defense was able to get the most out of Rashaun Evans in 2022 before he became a free agent. Evans had 159 tackles to lead the team and two sacks. New defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen will see some shakeups in the secondary with four defensive backs having expiring contracts.
Unrestricted Falcons Free Agents
To be an unrestricted free agent, there are a couple of qualifications. An NFL player must have four or more years of experience and their contract has to have expired or been voided. They can negotiate with any team without any restrictions or draft-choice compensation. Here’s a list of impending free agents for the Falcons who are unrestricted.
Quarterbacks
Marcus Mariota – QB
Running Backs
Keith Smith – FB
Wide Receivers and Tight Ends
Olamide Zaccheaus – WR
Damiere Byrd – WR
Anthony Firkser – TE
Khadarel Hodge – WR
MyCole Pruitt – TE
Centers, Guards, and Tackles
Kaleb McGary – T
Germain Ifedi – RT
Elijah Wilkinson – G
Colby Gossett – G
Chuma Edoga – T
Defensive Tackles, Defensive Ends, and Edge Rushers
Vincent Taylor – DT
Matt Dickerson – DE
Linebackers
Rashaan Evans – LB
Nick Kwiatkoski – ILB
Lorenzo Carter – OLB
Cornerbacks and Safeties
Isaiah Oliver – CB
Erik Harris – S
Michael Ford – CB
Rashad Fenton – CB
Special Teams
Bradley Pinion – P
Beau Brinkley – LS
Restricted Free Agents
A restricted free agent is a player who has played for three or fewer accrued seasons and has an expiring contract. The team can assign a tender to the player, which allows them to match any offer the player receives from other teams. The team receives draft compensation if the player signs elsewhere.
2023 NFL restricted free agents for the Falcons:
Abdullah Anderson – DE
Salary Cap and Roster
The Falcons have a lot of free agents and a lot of salary cap space. Projections from Spotrac show a nice amount of space for the team to work with. The team can make moves on a few key targets in 2023 offseason negotiations. The salary cap for the NFL is $224.8 million for the 2023 season.
The team only has three cap hits that are currently over $10 million for next season. Jake Matthews is the highest at $28.4 million. Moves will be made between now and the 2023 NFL Draft. The team hopes to improve on its 7-10 record.
Falcons Free Agency 2023 FAQs
NFL free agency will commence on March 15, 2023. It begins at 4 p.m. eastern time. The date signifies the start of the new league year and the end of all player contracts. Many players are set to hit the market and gain free agency status.
An unrestricted free agent is a player whose contract has expired, and they have no ties to their former team. Starting on March 15, they are free to negotiate with any team in the league without restrictions.
A restricted free agent can be extended what is called a qualifying offer. If offered, they are still allowed to negotiate with other teams around the league. Their current team is allowed to match any offer.
There is a “legal tampering” period that begins on March 13. Teams can talk to certified agents but no signings can be made until free agency is official.
