The Falcons have had a ton of success spending money.
Every single significant contract they’ve handed out, whether in free agency or an extension, has worked out. Jessie Bates, David Onyemata, and Kaden Elliss inked last offseason and turned in very productive 2023 campaigns, with Bates earning All-Pro honors.
Chris Lindstrom was made the highest-paid guard in football at the same time, and he rewarded the Falcons with his second All-Pro bid. Even Grady Jarrett and Jake Matthews have made the team happy with their contract extensions.
If the trends continue, we can expect big 2024 seasons from Kirk Cousins and Darnell Mooney. However, it’s not just the highly-paid players that step onto the field. It’s the lesser-known, lesser-paid players that generally make or break a team’s chances to accomplish their ultimate goals.
Whether that’s cheap free agents, rookies, or even undrafted free agents, the Falcons will need to count on all 53 if they want to end their postseason drought.
In fact, the breakout star of the 2023 season may be the best bargain on the roster. According to Bleacher Report, Nate Landman is the Falcons most underpaid player entering 2024.
Atlanta Falcons: LB Nathan Landman
The undrafted 25-year-old exploded with 110 tackles and three forced fumbles while costing the Falcons just $870,000 in 2023. He’ll make less than $1 million again in 2024.
The Falcons re-signed the exclusive rights free agent earlier in the offseason in a no-brainer kind of decision, and Landman is set to earn even more money than initially anticipated for his outstanding 2023 season because of the NFL’s performance-based pay distribution.
Last season, injury bred opportunity, and Landman made the absolute most out of it. He was thrust into a starting role next to Kaden Elliss when Troy Andersen suffered a season-ending injury during the Falcons’ Week 3 contest against the Lions.
Landman ended up starting 14 games, totaling 110 tackles, three pass breakups, three forced fumbles and two sacks. With a new coaching staff in the building, it’s unclear what kind of role Andersen and Landman will have next to Elliss, but at the very least, the Falcons will have three capable starters.
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Photographer: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
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