The first tough blow of the offseason is upon us, Dirty Bird Nation. While it remains to be seen what the Atlanta Falcons want to do with high-priced backup quarterback Kirk Cousins, his big figure on the books has already played a part in losing center Drew Dalman in NFL free agency. During the legal tampering period, word broke that Dalman will be reportedly going to the Chicago Bears on a three-year deal worth $42 million.
I spoke with Dalman ahead of last season on the Blogging Dirty podcast. He was very excited about the season ahead for the Falcons, especially with how well the offensive line was rounding into form. Dalman thinks the world of his former teammate Jake Matthews, who got a contract extension in the lead-up to free agency. But he's now responsible for snapping the ball to Caleb Williams.
Again, this all goes back to the decision-making process put forth by Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot and the rest of the Atlanta brass last offseason. By signing Cousins to a four-year deal and then using the No. 8 overall pick in 2024 NFL Draft on Michael Penix Jr., the Dirty Birds were left with too much money allocated to the quarterback position.
Chicago seems to be totally okay with paying a premium for a good, but not great center in Dalman.
Sources: The top center in free agency is off the board, as #Falcons C Drew Dalman is headed the #Bears to become the NFL’s 2nd highest paid center.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 10, 2025
Dalman gets 3-years and $42M with $28M guaranteed in a deal done by @SteveCaric of @Wasserman.
All I know is the Falcons' offense has completely unraveled before without competent center play.
Atlanta Falcons lose Drew Dalman in free agency because of Kirk Cousins
Look. I think the Falcons were totally on board with bringing Dalman back into the fold, up to a certain point. The fact he is only getting $14 million in average annual value from the Bears tells me that Atlanta could have been in a better position to retain its starting center if not for the Cousins deal. Then again, maybe Dalman wanted out of town? He did not ask to be in Atlanta, only drafted there ...
What I think this suggests is that Fontenot and the rest of Atlanta's front office feels comfortable with Ryan Neuzil serving as the starting center next season. He split time with Dalman last year when the latter was dealing with an injury. That may have actually been what tipped the scales in Atlanta letting Dalman walk. However, Dalman is the type of mid-round pick you do not want to be willing lose in free agency.
Ultimately, Atlanta has to be confident in every decision it makes going forward the rest of the way this offseason. The Falcons do not have a ton of cap space, nor do they have a bevy of draft picks. Make every decision count! Otherwise, the playoff drought will continue and they will have wasted another year of Penix being on a team-friendly deal. Eventually, they will have to pay him like Cousins.
This is the latest example of why overspending at one position group can cost you dearly in another.