The Most Underrated Move the Falcons Made in Free Agency So Far

The Atlanta Falcons have been very busy over the last week. When this free agency negotiation window began last Monday, there was some speculation about how aggressively new general manager Ian Cunningham would attack this period. In the time since, the Falcons have loaded up on depth, working to add quality rotational players who were hard to find last season.

“It’s just the beginning,” Cunningham said over his virtual interview on Friday. “But 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.”

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On offense, they added a pair of wide receivers, a quarterback, and a tight end who could end up playing important roles for them this season. Defensively, several more rotational players were brought into the fold, with seven new players coming to Atlanta (and another coming back).

We cannot forget about special teams additions, with the Falcons adding both a new kicker and punter over the last week.

But with the flurry of additions and the news that has since emerged from the Tua Tagovailoa addition, it would be easy to overlook some of the important additions the Falcons made on the edge. Azeez Ojulari and Samson Ebukam were quiet additions that Atlanta made, but this duo has the chance to take on important roles in Jeff Ulbrich’s defense.

Ojulari burst onto the scene as a rookie, picking up the New York Giants’ rookie sack record (8.0), but injuries have derailed his career in the time since. After an outstanding start to his career, the defender landed on injured reserve in both of his next two seasons.

He finished his time in New York with 46 games played (30 starts) but left in free agency to sign with Philadelphia on a one-year deal. A hamstring injury landed him on the injured reserve again, and he appeared in just three games.

When he is healthy, Ojulari projects as a player who could be a seven-to-eight sack guy, but he has not finished a season with 17 games played since that breakout first season.

Ebukam has also flashed some upside over the course of his career. His career took off in 2023 with the Indianapolis Colts, where he tallied 9.5 sacks over 16 games, but he ruptured his Achilles tendon during training camp, and he missed the entire 2024 season.

He returned in 2025, but would record just 2.0 sacks. In 2026, the Falcons will be getting a player who will be two years removed from that injury and could return to the form he flashed a few years ago.

This duo joins a pass rush fresh off its best season in franchise history. The unit broke the record for sacks in a season, but they will be replacing several contributors from that unit.

With the pending legal situation down in Miami with James Pearce Jr., the Falcons have been busy adding insurance for their pass rush. Jalon Walker is set to return at the opposite spot, but behind him, there were several depth concerns. Bralen Trice, who is entering year three without appearing in an NFL game, was the only other rostered player.

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