JuJu Smith-Schuster is the top free agent target for the Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons may have only won 7 games in 2021, but they did outplay expectations in the eyes of many Falcons fans. It wasn’t an easy task for the Falcons offense to lift off without Ryan’s best friend Julio Jones and the talented Calvin Ridley.
Matt Ryan didn’t allow the noise or obstacles to prevent him from throwing 3,968 yards and edging out foes like the Miami Dolphins and New Orleans Saints in very competitive matchups. Ryan is the highest-paid NFL player this offseason, as it’s widely enunciated. Nonetheless, Arthur Blank has spoken strongly of Ryan and I believe he will restructure his contract to remain a Falcon for the rest of his career.
I would love to see the Falcons add weapons to join Matt Ryan and Kyle Pitts. The Falcons can jolt their offense this offseason, rebuild their defense over the next couple of seasons, and I believe the Falcons can be a strong NFC contender for 1-2 seasons with him before he retires. They could also be immediate NFC South favorites in 2022 with Tom Brady out of the division if they retain Ryan and slightly improve their roster. If the Falcons ship off Ryan and they don’t have a Pro Bowl QB in the near future, the Falcons could really struggle for a few seasons.
I expect the Falcons and Ryan to not divorce in 2022 and I expect them to add a few talented players to come out guns blazing next season. Here are a few profiles that would be logical fits for the Falcons.
JuJu Smith-Schuster
I don’t expect the Falcons to ink the golden free agent Michael Gallup or risk signing Odell with his injury and age, but I believe JuJu Smith-Schuster would fit in perfectly for the Falcons. JuJu (129 yards, 0 touchdowns) will likely take a prove-it deal and I think it would be tempting for him to take that route with Ryan and the Falcons. He can join a proven QB in Ryan and he can be the focal point of the offense with Ridley most likely finding the exit. The Steelers WR could also be fascinated about playing the Buccaneers and Panthers mediocre secondary twice a year. The Saints have Marshon Lattimore, but the points are always high in the Saints-Falcons showdowns.
Xavier Rhodes
The Indianapolis Colts star cornerback Xavier Rhodes is old (31), but he has still been playing at a high level (19 pass deflections, 3 interceptions over the past two seasons). Rhodes could be interested in helping the Falcons defense match the Matt Ryan and Kyle Pitts-led offense. I wouldn’t place the chances of the Falcons inking JC Jackson or Patrick Peterson on a good level. They could be aggressive for getting a talented CB like Rhodes after the top free-agent CBs sign elsewhere. Rhodes would match up well against big, physical WRs like Michael Thomas and Mike Evans.
Desean Jackson
Desean Jackson is clearly past his prime, but I feel strongly about him being a nice value pickup for the Falcons. Jackson ousted 454 yards and two touchdowns at this very late stage in his career. He could certainly be a deep threat that the Falcons are missing. He might have one or two years left, but the Falcons could make more magic happen with him than nearly all WR-needy teams in the last breaths of his career. If the Falcons don’t bring back Cordaralle Patterson, it would especially be wise to replace him with the special deep threat WR. It may be time for Jackson to return to the NFC South.
