The Falcons are preparing to lose Drew Dalman in free agency, as ESPN’s Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler reported.
“The Falcons are prepared to lose center Drew Dalman in free agency,” Graziano wrote. “They’d like to have him back but are concerned he can get more money elsewhere.”
The 2021 fourth-round pick has developed into one of the league’s better centers, and he’s hitting free agency at the right time. With the numbers being thrown around, it’s no wonder the Falcons are preparing to let him walk, with some even predicting he’ll reset the center market.
“Talking to people around the league, he is going to get like a starting offensive lineman type of ‘What? Who got $20 million a year?’ But Drew Dalman will be that guy. He is absolutely getting that. I don’t think the Falcons are going to be able to afford to keep him,” Gregg Rosenthal said.
If that’s the going rate for Drew Dalman, there’s no way the Falcons should overpay to keep him. While he’s a homegrown talent and a critical piece to one of the few strengths on the roster, paying good players great money is how bad teams stay bad, which begs the question:
How will the Falcons choose to replace Dalman?
Dalman did miss eight games this past season, and in his place, Ryan Neuzil performed admirably, which seems to be where the Falcons will turn if/when Dalman signs elsewhere.
“They feel good, though, about tendering restricted free agent center Ryan Neuzil and making him the Dalman replacement, which he was during the 2024 season when Dalman missed time due to injury,” wrote Graziano.
While Neuzil can give the Falcons a similar level of production in pass protection, Dalman is the superior run blocker. Still, at a fraction of the price, Neuzil could be worth the risk. How he holds up over the entirety of the season will be interesting to see.
The Falcons could go after a free agent like Josh Meyers, who isn’t going to garner even close to the deal that Dalman will on the open market. Coleman Shelton could also be brought to Atlanta to compete with Neuzil for the starting gig.
More than anything, I think the Falcons targeting a Georgia Bulldog could be an effective replacement and a long-term one at that. Jared Wilson is coming off an impressive performance at the NFL Combine, running a mind-boggling 4.84 40-yard dash while standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 310 pounds to go with some elite times in the shuttle and other explosive drills.
It seems like Wilson is a lock to go on Day 2 and could even be a second-round pick. While he might not be the pass rusher Falcons fans have been begging for, he would fill a massive void on the roster for years to come.
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