Fansided

5 NFL teams that need to sign Justin Houston

By Brad Berreman

KANSAS CITY, MO - JANUARY 20: Kansas City Chiefs outside linebacker Justin Houston (50) in the fourth quarter of the AFC Championship Game game between the New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs on January 20, 2019 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, MO - JANUARY 20: Kansas City Chiefs outside linebacker Justin Houston (50) in the fourth quarter of the AFC Championship Game game between the New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs on January 20, 2019 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 5
Next
Mandatory Credit: Joe Robbins/Getty Images
Mandatory Credit: Joe Robbins/Getty Images /

4. Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons finished in the bottom half of the league with 37 sacks last season, and no one had more than Takk McKinnley’s seven.

Atlanta is not flush with cap space ($22.383 million right now), and the franchise tag they’ll use on defensive tackle Grady Jarrett (or a potential long-term deal) will eat into that. But on the back side, the Falcons could part with the underachieving Vic Beasley and wipe his $12.81 million cap hit completely off the books with no dead money to absorb. Head coach Dan Quinn dismissed the idea last week, suggesting the “plan right now”was to keep the former top-10 pick. Beasley has a 15.5 sack season (2016), but little else, on his resume and the Falcons have to seriously evaluate his place on the team for 2019.

Houston is from the Atlanta area. So he may be willing to give the Falcons a proverbial discount to come back home as his career winds down. They probably won’t be able to really compete in a potential bidding war, but the Falcons should be interested in Houston right up until he signs with them or goes elsewhere.

Home/NFL Free Agency