Free agency: Falcons earn mixed grades for early signings

The Atlanta Falcons opened the new league year with over $60 million in cap space and they got right to work upgrading their roster. After trading for tight end Jonnu Smith, the team extended right guard Chris Lindstrom and agreed to terms with safety Jessie Bates III on the first day of the legal tampering period.

Atlanta wasn’t anywhere close to done, though, later signing linebacker Kaden Elliss, wide receiver Mack Hollins and cornerback Mike Hughes. The team also brought back right tackle Kaleb McGary on a three-year deal.

Obviously, time will tell how these signings pan out for the Falcons, but opinions among NFL analysts have varied thus far. Check out what some of the different sites had to say about the team’s busy first week of free agency.

Pro Football Focus

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• PFF free agency grade: B

Bates hasn’t hit the heights he did when he produced a 90.1 PFF grade back in 2020, but he has still been an above-average player at the position over the past two seasons. His 72.6 PFF coverage grade over the past two seasons ranks 30th among safeties, but when you factor in the impressive 2020 season, his three-year PFF coverage grade of 90.5 trails only Kevin Byard of the Tennessee Titans and Marcus Williams of the Baltimore Ravens.

CBS Sports' Garrett Podell

(AP Photo/Todd Kirkland)

• CBS Sports free agency grade: C

Getting ahead of the rising salary cap to keep your own starting-caliber players is wise, but it’s unclear why the Falcons felt the need to reset the offensive guard market by giving Chris Lindstrom five years and $105 million dollars coming off his first Pro Bowl appearance in 2022.

Bleacher Report's Gary Davenport

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• TE Jonnu Smith (trade): B

For a seventh-round pick and with Smith restructuring his contract, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, it’s a low-risk acquisition for Atlanta.

• RG Chris Lindstrom: B

$21 million is a lot to pay any interior lineman. But Lindstrom is an excellent guard entering the prime of his career. And if the Falcons weren’t willing to break the bank for him, another team likely would have.

• DT David Onyemata: B-

This might be a bit of an overpay, and the Falcons now have a lot of cap space tied up on the interior of the defensive line—upwards of $30 million in average annual salary. But after ranking 23rd in run defense last year, the Falcons needed to get better in the trenches.

• S Jessie Bates III: C+

In a vacuum, this isn’t a bad deal. However, time and again we have seen bad teams go wild spending money in free agency in an effort to reverse their fortunes. More often than not, it just doesn’t work. 

• LB Kaden Ellis: B-

$21.5 million over three years (per Rapoport) is a lot to pay a relatively unproven player, but if Elliss continues to improve in 2023 this deal could be looked back on as a relative bargain.

Touchdown Wire's Doug Farrar

Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

• S Jessie Bates III: A-

Bates is a tough, smart veteran defender who finally got the payday he deserved, and he’ll be a major asset in Atlanta’s rebuilding defense. 

• QB Taylor Heinicke: WTF

The Atlanta Falcons don’t really know what they have at the quarterback position. Last season, they had unimpressive veteran Marcus Mariota, and at-times-impressive third-round rookie Desmond Ridder. Atlanta’s aggregate quarterback completed 61.9% of its passes for 7.1 yards per attempt, 17 touchdowns, and nine interceptions — efficient enough, but the exact opposite of explosive.

Fox Sports' Greg Auman

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

• S Jessie Bates III: A-

Atlanta finally had the salary-cap space to be major players in free agency, and Bates might be the biggest piece of their spending spree on the first day. Four picks last year, and arguably the best safety available, are now part of an upgraded defense that will likely get another boost with the No. 8 pick in the draft.

• OT Kaleb McGary: B+

A three-year, $34.5 million deal won’t be confused with Chris Lindstrom’s massive extension, but on a team that prides itself on asserting the run as much as the Falcons, bringing back the offensive line intact for 2023 is an important priority. Both of their 2019 first-round picks are now locked up long term.

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