The Atlanta Falcons let their former first-round pick, safety Keanu Neal, hit free agency without a contract or franchise tag designation. Originally drafted with the No. 17 overall selection back in 2016, Neal’s career got off to a promising start before it was derailed by two unfortunate injuries that cut his 2018 and 2019 seasons short.
As free agency officially begins on Wednesday afternoon, six teams, including the Dallas Cowboys — where former Falcons head coach Dan Quinn is the defensive coordinator — and the NFC South-rival Carolina Panthers are showing “preliminary interest” in Neal, per NFL insider Josina Anderson.
I'm told S Keanu Neal has preliminary interest from the #Cowboys, #Jets, #Lions, #Vikings, #Colts, and the #Panthers, per source.
— IG: JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) March 16, 2021
Despite fighting his way back on the field in 2020, Atlanta wasn’t in position to bring Neal back due to a major salary cap deficit. The team finally created some cap space on Tuesday by restructuring Matt Ryan’s contract.
With needs remaining at both starting safety spots, cornerback and guard, the Falcons will likely have to settle for cheaper options in the second wave of free agency and the upcoming NFL draft.
Neal started in 48 of the 49 games he played during his five seasons in Atlanta, making one Pro Bowl in 2017.
