The Falcons have a number of free agents set to hit the open market, including several key starters.
Mike Hughes and KhaDarel Hodge should be brought back, and Justin Simmons would be welcomed back to Atlanta if the price is right; however, none of them should take precedence over the Falcons starting center.
Drew Dalman has been one of the few hits that Terry Fontenot has drafted outside of the first round. Moreover, the center market is scarce, both in free agency and the draft, while a handful of teams will be in the market for one — Bears, Packers, 49ers, and Chargers, to name a few.
Dalman is hitting free agency at the right time, and the Falcons have no choice but to bring him back. So, what will a new contract for the former fourth-round pick look like?
While Dalman is nowhere near the best center in the league, he’s been reliably great in the run game. In this market, that’s ultra-valuable. The Falcons also don’t penny-pinch when it comes to guys they want to retain.
Whether it’s Jessie Bates, Chris Lindstrom, David Onyemata, A.J. Terrell, Kirk Cousins, or any other player at the negotiating table, Terry Fontenot doesn’t hold their feet to the fire. Nobody should expect that to change with Dalman, who will have plenty of suitors if he tests the free-agent waters.
Below are the highest-paid centers in the league, via Over The Cap:Â
| Player | Team | Age | Total Value |
Avg./Year | Total Guaranteed |
Fully Guaranteed |
Free Agency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Creed Humphrey | Chiefs | 27 | $72,000,000 | $18,000,000 | $50,315,000 | $35,000,000 | 2029 UFA |
| Frank Ragnow | Lions | 29 | $54,000,000 | $13,500,000 | $42,000,000 | $27,960,640 | 2027 UFA |
| Lloyd Cushenberry | Titans | 28 | $50,000,000 | $12,500,000 | $30,000,000 | $26,000,000 | 2028 UFA |
| Ryan Kelly | Colts | 32 | $49,650,000 | $12,412,500 | $34,000,000 | $25,350,000 | 2025 UFA |
| Erik McCoy | Saints | 28 | $60,000,000 | $12,000,000 | $33,000,000 | $20,090,000 | 2028 Void |
| Tyler Biadasz | Commanders | 28 | $30,000,000 | $10,000,000 | $20,700,000 | $17,700,000 | 2027 Void |
In terms of the length of the deal, three to four years feels appropriate. For the average annual value, the Falcons will likely be on the hook for something between $10-13 million per year.
Dalman isn’t better than Frank Ragnow, but sometimes in this league, it’s all about when you’re hitting free agency. I would be surprised if Dalman garnered a deal worth more than $13.5 million per season, but then again, this is the Falcons we are talking about.
Let’s go somewhere in the middle. A three or four-year contract worth $11.5 million per year would be a total value between $34.5 million and $46 million. Erik McCoy’s deal with the Saints is a good ballpark for Drew Dalman, which could make him one of the five highest-paid centers in football.
Final Contract Projection: 4 years, $48 million with $20 million in guarantees.
—
Photographer: John Byrum/Icon Sportswire
You must log in to post a comment.