Atlanta Falcons Receive Glowing Grade for Leonard Floyd Signing

Veteran Leonard Floyd wasn't considered one of the top edge rusher entering NFL free agency. But that didn't stop Bleacher Report's Moe Moton from giving the Atlanta Falcons very high marks for agreeing to a deal with Floyd on March 11.

Moton awarded the Falcons an A for the one-year, $10 million agreement the team made with Floyd. The veteran edge rusher can officially sign the deal when the new league year begins at 4 pm ET on March 12.

"This is a homecoming for Floyd, who grew up in Atlanta and played college football at Georgia. More than just a return to familiar territory, he can also help a Falcons team that finished with the second-fewest sacks (31) and ranked 25th in pressure rate (20 percent) last season," wrote Moton.

"After a rocky start to his career plagued by on-field inconsistencies and injuries, Floyd has become one of the league's top veteran edge-rushers. In recent years, he's made an impact on the Los Angeles Rams' Super Bowl-winning squad, the Buffalo Bills, and the 49ers.

"Floyd will be the Falcons' best pass-rusher, and Atlanta inked him on a good value deal considering his numbers over the last half decade."

The last detail should still bother Falcons fans a bit. Floyd is 32 years old and should probably be moving more into a pass-rushing centric role rather than being an every down edge rusher.

Personally, the acquisition reminds me a little of when the Falcons signed Dante Fowler. The former No. 3 overall pick in 2015, Fowler was a disappointment with the Jacksonville Jaguars and then became a double-digit sack guy with the Los Angeles Rams during 2019.

But when counted on as the No. 1 guy in Atlanta, he faltered in 2020 and 2021. Fowler posted just 7.5 sacks in 28 games with the Falcons as their top edge rusher.

Like Fowler, Floyd is a former top 10 pick who didn't survive past his rookie deal with his first team. Then, he experienced success playing next to Aaron Donald with the Los Angeles Rams.

It's not fair, though, to directly compare Floyd to Fowler. Floyd had seven sacks as a rookie. Furthermore, Floyd has posted back-to-back seasons with at least 8.5 sacks while playing without Donald since departing the Rams.

With the 49ers last season, Floyd had 8.5 sacks with 42 combined tackles, including eight tackles for loss. The 32-year-old also registered 16 quarterback hits with one pass defense and one forced fumble in 17 games.

For only $10 million, it will be a steal if Floyd produces that kind of stat line with the Falcons in 2025.

But hopefully, the Falcons either sign another veteran or target a top edge rushing prospect in the NFL draft to increase Floyd's chances of fulfilling his one-year ceiling.