NFL Free Agency Rumors: Matt Bryant, Atlanta Falcons agree on deal

Matt Bryant has re-signed with the Atlanta Falcons.

Even though people don’t recognize it as one of the most important positions on an NFL roster, kickers, year after year, lead the league in points. They don’t make the money top quarterbacks do and they don’t get the name recognition that top pass rushers do, but they are extremely needed on a professional roster.

Although he played on a bad team last year, Matt Bryant is one of the best kickers in the league. Granted he does play in a dome, which gives a kicker a tremendous advantage, but something has to be said about Bryant and how clutch he has been during his tenure with the Atlanta Falcons.

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According to Pro Football Talk, the Falcons have brought back Bryant. The details of the contract weren’t released, but the 39-year-old will be coming back for the 2015 season.

Bryant will turn 40 in May and while many NFL players play their last years around the age of 35, Adam Vinatieri, who is 42 years old, is a great example of a guy that still plays at a high level, even though he’s one of the oldest players in the league. Kickers have longer lifespans in the NFL.

That truly is no secret, but it really just goes to show how well of shape these guys are in to stay healthy and play at a high level so late in their careers.

After two straight bad seasons, the Falcons will be looking to make the playoffs for the first time since 2012. Although their defense has been horrendous over the past few seasons, one bright thing the Falcons have going for them is their offense.

With guys like Matt Ryan, Roddy White, and Julio Jones, the Falcons can move the football down the field in a hurry and when they do that, it’s reassuring to know that they have a great kicker in Bryant who can always put points on the board.

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