Anonymous NFL Execs Go Scorched-Earth on Falcons Free Agency Class

The Atlanta Falcons’ offseason strategy has drawn skepticism across the NFL, but new general manager Ian Cunningham appears less interested in winning headlines than fixing the roster’s foundation.

According to some anonymous NFL executives, as polled by The Athletic’s NFL writer Mike Sando, they are reportedly not fans of the decisions that Cunningham has made thus far.

“There is nothing about what they have done that I can say, ‘That makes sense,’” one of the anonymous execs said.

“‘You give the 41-year-old kicker (Nick Folk) two years, $9 million, $4 million guaranteed,” another exec said. “Jake Bailey, a punter, gets three years, $9 million, $5 million guaranteed. Austin Hooper is 31. Tua, I can see that — they needed to do something. Christian Harris is young enough as a linebacker to have some upside. But that is not a good class. That’s a grab bag of, ‘We don’t know what we’re doing.’”

This evaluation feels exceedingly harsh for a team that was strapped for cash heading into this offseason, but with several holes to fill. They desperately needed depth, and that is what they added in free agency.

With the unknowns at quarterback, making aggressive moves like that would be a continuation of the same reckless team building that left them in this situation. The Falcons simply could not afford to go big-game hunting this spring without signing contracts that would hamper them over the next several years.

Folk, despite his age, has shown no signs of slowing down. He is the active leader in field goal makes (431) and attempts (507), with an average conversion rate of 85.0% and a career-long of 58 yards (which came last season). The veteran has even enjoyed a late-career resurgence, leading the NFL in field goal percentage in 2023 (96.7%), 2024 (95.5%), and 2025 (96.6%).

Not bad for a 41-year-old kicker.

As for Bailey, the Falcons needed a punter, and for Hooper, the Falcons needed a third tight end – why they cite these additions as negatives is a bit confusing. Harris has also shown the ability to be a starting-caliber linebacker in this league, and he signed a prove-it deal to do just that.

But Sando seems to agree with the assessment from these executives, saying, “either the Falcons are smarter than everyone else, or they are making confounding moves.”

He seems particularly taken aback that they allowed Elliss to walk in free agency, correctly citing his ability to be a multi-faceted contributor to the Falcons’ defense. Unfortunately, the Falcons were unable to match his three-year deal worth $33 million ($23 million guaranteed).

“‘Why are you doing these deals?” they said. “If you are going to pay these guys, why wouldn’t you pay to keep Kaden Elliss? He is 30 years old, but a good player coming off one of his best years. Played like 100 percent of the snaps (99.9 percent), can play multiple spots, can rush, play off the ball. It’s crazy.’”

It was not all negative for the Falcons. Their move to sign Tua Tagovailoa was met with some apprehensive praise.

“‘For the price, you can’t hate on that,” they said. “But overall, it seems like they swapped out guys for guys. They have some talent, but they are not in win-now mode. They are not in tank mode, either. They seem very net neutral.’”

Not exactly glowing praise.

By this summer, the new-look front office will have added 23 or more new players to the roster, revamping all three units. Nearly all of them are low-risk contracts, with just three of the 18 free agency signings being for more than one season – kicker Nick Folk (two years, $9 million), punter Jake Bailey (three years, $9 million), and wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus (two years, $4.5 million). They have not signed a single contract worth more than $4.5 million in average annual value.

As a whole, the Falcons have spent just $47.4 million (with some contract details still outstanding) and $22.4 million in guarantees, which rank 27th and 28th in the NFL, respectively.

“I’m excited with what we were able to do. We really went into this free agency looking to elevate our floor. We added depth pieces, but also players who have starting experience that can start [for the Falcons], and have shown that they’re able to start in this league.”

The Falcons did not set out to make a splash. They have the stars in place already to compete and win football games this fall. What they needed was depth, and they found plenty of it.

Whether that restraint proves smart or overly cautious will define Atlanta’s 2026 season.

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