Falcons Free Agent Targets: Why Ex Jets, Texans DL Makes Sense

The pass rush-starved Atlanta Falcons are facing an exodus of bodies on their defensive line -- and as one of only five teams currently over the salary cap, they lack immense financial resources to swing big.

Atlanta has to be value shoppers. General manager Terry Fontenot and head coach Raheem Morris may dive into the bargain bin -- and come out with players familiar to defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich and defensive line coach Nate Ollie.

Enter defensive tackle Folorunso "Foley" Fatukasi, who played under Ulbrich, then the defensive coordinator, and Ollie, then the assistant defensive line coach, with the New York Jets in 2021 and again under Ollie with the Houston Texans in 2024.

It's also worth noting Ulbrich, Ollie and the Jets wanted to re-sign Fatukasi in the spring of 2022, as New York spent several months speaking with his agent, according to ESPN. However, Fatukasi signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars, parlaying a career year spent as a Jets captain into a three-year deal worth $30 million.

Despite his departure, Fatukasi said at the end of the 2021 season he enjoyed Ulbrich's scheme -- one in which the 6-foot-4, 318-pounder logged 46 tackles, five tackles for loss and six quarterback hits.

"This system is a fun system to play in," Fatukasi said in January 2022. "You can get off the ball, shoot your hands. I've had success in this system, so I think it's fun to play in. I really believe being able to get off the rock, punch my hands, take your basic Football 101 fundamentals of D-line and you can allow to be more chaotic.

"That's what I like about it, and I feel like it makes it even more fun."

Fatukasi reunited with Ollie last season and started all 13 games played, including a pair of playoff appearances. He tallied 27 tackles, one sack and five tackles for loss while playing 46% of Houston's defensive snaps.

The soon-to-be 30-year-old Fatukasi also earned a new nickname: "Big Dog," given to him by Ollie and defensive line coach Rod Wright.

Houston's defense grew fond of Ollie, so much that Houston Chronicle reporter Jonathan Alexander noted Fatukasi and fellow defensive lineman Mario Edwards are viable candidates to join Ollie in Atlanta.

Fatukasi isn't the pass rusher the Falcons need. The 2018 sixth-round draft pick has only 5.5 sacks and 22 quarterback hits in 86 career games, 63 of which were starts.

But the former University of Connecticut standout is a quality run defender, and with the Falcons' largest interior defensive lineman, Eddie Goldman, headed toward free agency, Fatukasi is a natural replacement -- one who has experience playing at a high level with the scheme and coaches in Atlanta.