Atlanta hasn’t been a destination for free agents of any kind for quite some time because the Falcons have been uncompetitive dating back to the last time the club made the postseason.
That changed for a moment when Calais Campbell shockingly decided to sign with Arthur Smith’s team last offseason, but that was more of an aberration than anything.
However, it seems things are changing for good under Raheem Morris. When the Falcons hired Morris, all of the talk surrounded his ability to connect to people and lead them. We immediately saw that materialize when he was able to bring Zac Robinson from Los Angeles to Atlanta while every club with an offensive coordinator opening was vying for his services.
That trend has continued in recent days. The Falcons were able to convince Justin Simmons to sign a one-year deal in free agency. The most sought-after free agent chose Atlanta over plenty of other cities, including New Orleans, in part, because of Raheem Morris.
Kirk Cousins certainly plays a role in that as well. The Falcons finally have stability at the quarterback position, and it helps convince prospective free agents, but not only free agents.
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.
One addendum to the Patriots/Falcons trade of last week: New England, believing the Bears and Falcons were in a similar category, and with third-round offers from both, gave OLB Matthew Judon his choice of being dealt to Atlanta or Chicago.
Judon, obviously, picked Atlanta.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) August 18, 2024
The Falcons may actually begin to turn into a place that players want to play. That’s happened a couple of times in recent memory, but every single one coincides with the Falcons having Matt Ryan.
Mike Smith and Dan Quinn were able to add highly valued veterans because of Ryan’s presence. The Falcons are able to do the same with Raheem Morris and Kirk Cousins. The hope is that will continue with Michael Penix Jr.
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Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire
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