Atlanta Falcons

With $38.4M in current cap space ranked fifth in the league and $144.8M projected next year ranked fourth, the Falcons have real tools to work with, but $39.5M in dead money is a meaningful drag that demands disciplined roster surgery before the spending can begin.

43 contracts expiring

Madden Tools Analysis

Six starting spots have weak depth behind the starter.

Seven picks this year, including three first-rounders over the next three seasons, give Atlanta an unusually deep pipeline to accelerate a rebuild or add talent around its already-strong offensive core.

• Acquired: Round 7 from Vikings, this draft
• Traded away: Round 7 to Seahawks, this draft

The roster's clear strength is its offensive skill talent, headlined by Robinson, London, and Lindstrom, while the defensive tackle group is the most glaring weakness, ranking near the very bottom of the league in both starter and depth quality.

• DThigh

  The interior defensive line is one of the weakest spots in the league, with Da'Shawn Hand starting at just 74 overall and the depth grading out 27th nationally, making a high-caliber addition at DT the top defensive priority.

• QBhigh

  Tua Tagovailoa holds the starting job at 74 overall, and while the depth rank is second in the league thanks to Michael Penix Jr. sitting behind him, the starter's ceiling leaves the position as a genuine concern heading into the season.

• WILLhigh

  Christian Harris starts at WILL but grades out 30th at the position, and with Josh Woods as a cut candidate and the depth ranking 23rd overall, the weakside linebacker unit needs a significant upgrade.

• RTlow

  Jawaan Taylor starts at right tackle and grades out 22nd at the position, a manageable weakness but one worth addressing if cap room and draft capital allow after higher-priority needs are met.

• 65Charlie WoernerTECharlie Woerner sits third on the TE depth chart and fourth on the FB chart at just 65 overall, and releasing him frees $4.4M against only $1.3M in dead money, making him a straightforward cap savings move.Frees $4.4M · $1.3M dead
• 63Kyle HintonLGKyle Hinton is the third-string left guard at 63 overall, and cutting him recovers $2.3M while leaving only $920K in dead cap, freeing dollars better spent upgrading a position of greater need.Frees $2.3M · $920.0K dead
• 64Corey LevinCCorey Levin grades out at 64 overall as the second-string center and is entering the twilight of his career, and a release clears $1.3M against a minimal $180K dead-money charge.Frees $1.3M · $180.0K dead
• 62Josh WoodsWILLJosh Woods is the second-string WILL at just 62 overall in a position group already ranked 30th at the starter level, and cutting him costs nothing in dead money while freeing $1.1M.Frees $1.1M · $0 dead
• 65Cooper RushQBCooper Rush is the third quarterback on the depth chart at 65 overall, and with Michael Penix Jr. already serving as the primary backup, Rush's $1.1M salary can be recovered with zero dead-money penalty.Frees $1.1M · $0 dead

The Falcons enter the season with one of the more compelling offensive skill groups in the conference, built around Bijan Robinson's X Factor ability in the backfield and Drake London's Superstar upside at receiver. Kyle Pitts provides a legitimate receiving threat at tight end, and the offensive line is anchored by Chris Lindstrom's elite interior play. The concern on offense is at quarterback, where Tua Tagovailoa at 74 overall must prove he can elevate a talented surrounding cast. Defensively, A.J. Terrell Jr. and Jessie Bates III give Atlanta quality in the secondary, but the defensive trenches are a liability, with the interior line grading out near the bottom of the league. Jake Matthews is entering the late stage of his career at left tackle, and planning his succession is necessary in the short term. The $38.4M in current cap space, ranked fifth in the league, gives the front office real tools to address the DT and WILL needs, but $39.5M in dead money is a drag that limits how aggressively those dollars can be deployed. With $144.8M in cap space projected next year, ranked fourth in the league, the financial picture brightens sharply in the near future, and the young core of Robinson, London, and the edge rushers James Pearce Jr. and Jalon Walker gives this franchise a legitimate path toward sustained contention.

The Falcons were awarded to owner Rankin Smith Sr. on June 30, 1965, and began play in 1966 as an NFL expansion team; their first-ever draft pick, Texas linebacker Tommy Nobis, became known as "Mr. Falcon." The early decades were lean: Atlanta did not post a winning record until 1971 and did not reach the playoffs until 1978. The 1977 "Grits Blitz" defense allowed just 129 points in 14 games (9.2 per game), an all-time NFL record that still stands, and the team won its first division title in 1980. The franchise's signature early highlight came in 1998, when Dan Reeves' "Dirty Bird" Falcons went 14-2, won the NFC Championship at Minnesota on Morten Andersen's overtime field goal ("The Kick"), and reached Super Bowl XXXIII, losing 34-19 to Denver. The Michael Vick era (2001-2006) brought electric, run-first quarterback play and a 2004 NFC Championship Game appearance before ending in Vick's 2007 dogfighting conviction. The Matt Ryan / Julio Jones era (2008-2021) was the most sustained run of success in team history: Ryan was the 2016 NFL MVP and led Atlanta to Super Bowl LI, where the Falcons blew a 28-3 third-quarter lead and lost 34-28 in overtime to New England, the largest comeback in Super Bowl history. Dan Quinn (2015-2020) oversaw that peak and subsequent decline; Arthur Smith (2021-2023) posted three straight 7-10 seasons; and Raheem Morris (2024-2025) went 8-9 in both seasons before being fired on January 4, 2026. The current era, under Kevin Stefanski, begins in 2026 with owner Arthur Blank overhauling leadership from the top down.