ESPN Twice Links Atlanta Falcons to Elite Free Agent Defensive Lineman

The NFL is up in Indianapolis for the Combine this week, but the annual unofficial kickoff to the league’s offseason also means that we are just two weeks away from free agency. The Atlanta Falcons are approaching this period with several roster concerns that need to be addressed during this window.

Free agency ‘unofficially’ opens at noon on Monday, March 9th, and the Falcons figure to be busy. Defensive line, quarterback, wide receiver, linebacker, and several other positions are either in need of new veterans to take over as starters or to fill in critical depth roles.

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The Falcons sit on a projected cap of $23 million before any roster adjustments are officially transacted when the league year starts, or additional ones are made, so they will need to be judicious with their focus.

As the league approaches the window, two separate writers have linked the top available defensive lineman to the Falcons. John Franklin-Myers from the Denver Broncos is a top-end target for Atlanta, and he could immediately become an elite part of a young but elevating unit.

The first was on Feb. 17th, when Matt Bowen put together its list of the best 50 available free agency players during the cycle. After that, he identified the best potential “fit” for each of them. He said the focus for placement on “team needs, scheme, and potential future production, though we also factored each franchise's salary cap situation.”

Franklin-Myers came in at No. 11 overall, but as the top-ranked defensive lineman.

“Under coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, Franklin-Myers could be used as a versatile defender, playing as a nose or 5-technique in the base fronts while providing an interior rush out of sub-package personnel. He had 7.5 sacks and 23 pressures with the Broncos last season,” Bowen wrote about why the Falcons are the top fit for Franklin-Myers.

The second article from Aaron Schatz came from a slightly different angle. Instead of tailoring the team to a player, he tailored the player for the team – but he came to a similar conclusion.

“The Falcons are one of the teams that will need a 5-technique defensive end, with both David Onyemata and Kentavius Street hitting free agency. Franklin-Myers had a pass rush win rate of 10.1% last season, which ranked him eighth among interior defensive linemen. He also had 7.5 sacks and was strong against the run; his average run tackle came after a gain of just 1.6 yards,” Schatz wrote.

Franklin-Myers has been one of the many anchors for the Broncos’ elite defense.

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Going back to 2020, his 300 total pressures rank 21st among all NFL defenders, and he could be a great fit into the attack-minded Jeff Ulbrich defensive scheme. Franklin-Myers has 34.0 career sacks, but 14.5 of those have come over his last two seasons.

With a $7.8 million AAV, he could slot in nicely into the Falcons’ interior defensive line rotation.