Buying, Selling Falcons Offseason Rumors, Featuring Kirk Cousins, Grady Jarrett

The Atlanta Falcons are in for a busy week.

The NFL's legal tampering period opens at noon Monday, allowing the Falcons to communicate with free agents. Atlanta also needs to take care of its own business and get on the right side of the salary cap line -- it currently sits almost $5.3 over budget, according to OverTheCap.

But the Falcons have a roster to build and players to add -- a process that's already partially begun with internal extensions but will fully kickoff this week.

So, as free agency nears, let's buy and sell some of the most popular rumors surrounding Atlanta's offseason.

Rumor: Falcons will cut defensive tackle Grady Jarrett

Verdict: Sell

Atlanta probably won't leave Jarrett's contract untouched, but head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot have stressed the value the six-time captain brings inside the walls of team headquarters.

Jarrett, who turns 32 in April, had only 2.5 sacks in 2024, but the Falcons appear steadfast in keeping his veteran presence around their locker room.

Rumor: Maybe quarterback Kirk Cousins isn't out the door just yet

Verdict: Sell

Fontenot and Morris have driven a tough bargain here. They've struck the same tone since the end of the season, expressing comfort in keeping Cousins as the backup to Michael Penix Jr., who they view as their long-term answer under center.

But Cousins reportedly met with Falcons owner Arthur Blank and shared his interest to go somewhere he can start next season, and due to the market demand for quarterbacks, Atlanta may be able to swing a fair return.

Rumor: Atlanta will cut defensive tackle David Onyemata

Verdict: Buy

Releasing Onyemata opens $8 million in cap space but also comes with $8 million in dead money. The 32-year-old Onyemata registered only three sacks in 2024, but like Jarrett, he's a valued locker room leader.

Still, Onyemata's production hasn't matched his contract, and Atlanta needs to open cap space. This feels like a logical step.

Rumor: Falcons will get aggressive in pursuit of pass rush help

Verdict: Buy

This could go a number of different ways, but Atlanta has dipped its toes into the water of big-name pass rushers available in the trade market -- see Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson, who Atlanta has reportedly been monitoring.

Morris and Fontenot are committed to fixing their pass rush. They'll swing this offseason. Whether they connect or swing and miss remains to be seen, but it would be reasonably shocking if Atlanta didn't at least urgently pursue premier names, be it in free agency or the draft.

Rumor: Continuity will be big theme in Falcons' free agent adds

Verdict: Buy

The natural progression for fans and reporters alike after a team hires a new defensive coordinator is to look at the free agents on the team he previously coached. In Jeff Ulbrich's case, the list of New York Jets set to hit the market is rather intriguing.

There's cornerback D.J. Reed, who figures to be out of Atlanta's price range, and linebacker Jamien Sherwood, who's market may be bigger than expected -- he could receive upwards of $10 million annually.

But there are also other rotational pieces with strong ties, such as cornerback Isaiah Oliver, who was with the Falcons from 2018-22, and defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw, who interested Atlanta's staff during the 2020 pre-NFL draft process.

Toss in defensive tackle Foley Fatukasi, who worked with Ulbrich in New York and new defensive line coach Nate Ollie with both the Jets and, this past season, the Houston Texans, and there are a bevy of players at positions of need who have quality relationships with Atlanta's staff.

The Falcons often draw external criticism for not branching outside of their circle of connections. Other teams are guilty of it, too. But criticism or perception aside, Atlanta seems poised to use familiar faces as a means to generating new results.