Where Tua Tagovailoa Signing Ranks Among Falcons Free Agency Moves

The Atlanta Falcons have been very busy this offseason. From a head coach and general manager search to free agent acquisitions, cuts, and other roster moves, this could end up being a decade-defining several months.

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Kevin Stefanski will take control of this roster soon, but not until Ian Cunningham is done putting it together for him. The Falcons have reset all three parts of the team over the last two weeks, and now is a good time to look back at the several moves that the new-look franchise has made thus far.

As we hit this milestone, Falcons OnSI ranked the acquisitions from least significant to most significant for the franchise.

Signing Corey Levin

Tennessee Titans center Corey Levin | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

The Falcons signed the former Titans interior offensive lineman to a low-risk contract to mitigate the loss of Jovaughn Gwyn. Levin played for the new Falcons offensive line coach, Bill Callahan, in Nashville, and will provide some solid depth alongside Andrew Steuber and Kyle Hinton. For his career, Levin has appeared in 88 games (seven starts) between offensive and special teams. He has experience lining up at both guard and center.

Reuniting With Austin Hooper

New England Patriots tight end Austin Hooper | Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Falcons signed their former tight end to a low-risk contract, but he could come in and play a sizeable role in Atlanta. Kevin Stefanski loves his 12 personnel sets, and Hooper could end up seeing the field a lot more than people expect. He is a major upgrade from what the Falcons had in Feleipe Franks and Teagan Quitoriano.

Should Atlanta choose to move on from Kyle Pitts Sr., then this move could end up being one of the most important additions of the offseason.

Replacing Dee Alford, and Picking Up a Compensatory Pick Along With It

Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Darnay Holmes | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

The combo cornerback had a major bounceback season last year in Atlanta, and it landed him a sizeable pay raise with the Buffalo Bills this offseason. With his departure, the Falcons are also projected to land a seventh-round compensatory pick in the 2027 class.

To replace him, the Falcons signed veteran defensive back Darnay Holmes. The defender has 83 games of experience and will be a budget-friendly depth piece who can push Billy Bowman Jr., Cobee Bryant, C.J. Henderson, Clark Phillips III, and Mike Ford Jr. during camp.

Adding Defensive Line Help

Los Angeles Chargers defensive tackle Da'Shawn Hand | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

The Falcons have added Chris Williams, Da’Shawn Hand, and LaCale London (re-signed) to their defensive interior, but they still have some ways to go here. Williams is a solid veteran rotational player, while Hand is an upside play after his years on the injured reserve.

These players provide valuable depth, but they still need to add at least one more impact player for this unit after they struggled against the run in 2025.

Getting Depth in the Wide Receiver Room

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jahan Dotson | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Similar to the defensive line, the Falcons still have work to do at wide receiver. They added a steady veteran in Olamide Zaccheaus and an upside play in Jahan Dotson, but the draft will almost certainly provide them with a third additional player.

Zaccheaus will provide valuable depth. He has a 17-game average of 30 receptions for 374 yards and two touchdowns, but a career high of 40 receptions for 533 yards and three touchdowns, which came in his final year in Atlanta (2022).

Dotson, meanwhile, should be expected to play a much more significant role than he did in either Washington or Philadelphia. He will line up as a second option beside Drake London, in a role similar to Darnell Mooney as a field stretcher with elite speed. If the former first-round pick realizes some of the potential that Philadelphia saw in the draft, he could be an outstanding value signing for the Falcons.

Locking Down Special Teams

New York Jets place kicker Nick Folk | Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Aside from finding a new special teams coordinator, the Falcons made two major additions to this unit. They added kicker Nick Folk and punter Jake Bailey on the first day of the early negotiation window. Both players have spent time with coordinator Craig Aukerman.

Over his seven-year career, Bailey averages 46.3 yards per punt (long of 71 yards) and has downed 41.9% of his punts inside the 20-yard line. Folk has been a mainstay in the NFL, with a career spanning 18 years. 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). Folk has enjoyed a late-career resurgence and has led the NFL in field goal percentage in 2023 (96.7%), 2024 (95.5%), and 2025 (96.6%).

After a difficult season in which their special teams unit cost them several games, this new group should provide a lot more stability.

This would be higher, but the Falcons still need to lock down the return man. They moved on from Jamal Agnew late last season and will need to find a difference-maker here.

Finding Upside in the Pass Rush

Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Azeez Ojulari | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Azeez Ojulari and Samson Ebukam are very interesting signings for the Falcons. Both have delivered high-impact seasons, but have struggled with some injuries in recent years. Ojulari burst onto the scene as a rookie before soft tissue injuries flared up, while Ebukam had a 9.5 sack season in 2023 before a ruptured Achilles cost him his encore season – he came back in 2025, but he will now be two years removed.

If one or both players hit, the Falcons could have identified some diamonds in the rough.

Deeper on the depth chart is Cameron Thomas, and he is a solid veteran who will be able to compete with Bralen Trice for a role next season. After several veteran departures and a looming decision regarding James Pearce Jr.’s future in the NFL after a domestic violence arrest in February, the pass rush became a potential question mark. These additions help mitigate that for next season.

Signing Tua Tagovailoa

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa | Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

The most impactful decision of the offseason may end up being its most budget-friendly. Signing Tagovailoa ushered in a quarterback battle and provided the Falcons with a potential option at the position after several issues since parting with Matt Ryan after the 2021 season. Both players will get a shot to earn the starting job, but Penix will be recovering from a torn ACL that will hold him out over the next several months. In that time, Tagovailoa will get the starter reps and could build a sizeable advantage ahead of training camp.

The Falcons need to solidify their quarterback position, and Tagovailoa was a low-cost option who wasn’t going to set them back financially for the next several years. And, despite his recent struggles, Tagovailoa has been a playoff-caliber quarterback. If he can return to that form (and stay healthy), then the Falcons may make out of this like bandits.

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