Atlanta hasn’t been a destination for free agents really ever. The Falcons’ best signings of all time haven’t even been that moving.
Any list you look up is headlined by Michael Turner, Alex Mack, Matt Bryant, Morten Anderson, and Warrick Dunn in some order. Tony Gonzalez and John Abraham were both traded to the Falcons, but each had a certain amount to say in where they ended up. Both were franchise-altering players, but all of those, outside of Mack, were more than a decade ago.
That’s changed under Raheem Morris. Sixth months ago, Atlanta was a laughingstock. They’d just fired their head coach after trying to get back to the playoffs with Desmond Ridder at quarterback. It was a joke.
Morris immediately brought a breath of fresh air to Flowery Branch, and a short time later, the Falcons have created a culture that the top names around the league want to be a part of.
Kirk Cousins signed in free agency, and that was a significant factor in the team’s overall relevance. Cousins, Morris, the other veterans — i.e., Grady Jarrett, Jessie Bates III, A.J. Terrell — have convinced Matthew Judon and Justin Simmons the Falcons are worth playing for.
According to Albert Breer, the Patriots gave Matthew Judon a choice between Atlanta and Chicago because New England believed the Falcons and Bears third-round pick would be of similar value; Judon chose Morris and the Falcons. That, in turn, has helped convince Simmons to come to Atlanta.
“When the trade happens, I called my agent and said we gotta make this happen,” Simmons told Atlanta reporters on Monday. “These guys here are hungry. A lot of disappointing seasons in the past couple of years with a lot of potential and a lot of great skill players. So when I was at that dinner, man, I kind of asked some of the hard questions.”
The dinner at Chops with Morris, Jarrett, Bates, and Terrell helped convince Simmons. It hasn’t happened in a long time, but the Falcons are finally a club that sought-after coaches and players want to join.
—
Photographer: Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire
You must log in to post a comment.