The Atlanta Falcons are a strange team to evaluate. There's so much talent on the roster — we say this every year — and yet so many questions persist. Michael Penix Jr. will begin his first full season as starting quarterback, with Kirk Cousins still breathing down his neck as the backup. It feels like a suboptimal way to set up your supposed franchise player for success, but if the talented southpaw delivers on his promise, Cousins will be forgotten by January.
Atlanta should be a dynamic and productive offensive unit. Penix, whatever your thoughts on him may be, has a canon for an arm and a real gift for stretching the defense vertically. He will need to work more consistently in the intermediate range, but Drake London (and even Kyle Pitts) should help in that regard. Meanwhile, Bijan Robinson is set up for another season near the top of the NFL rushing leaderboard.
Where the concerns creep in are defense. Atlanta was quietly excellent on defense in 2023, but Raheem Morris' hiring meant the departure of play-caller Ryan Nielsen. In his stead, former Jets interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich took over as defensive coordinator and delivered less spectacular results in 2024.
The roster has improved tenfold on defense this summer between the drafting of Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. and the free agent signing of Leonard Floyd. Atlanta has dedicated substantial resources to improving the pass rush, but there is still room for at least one more impactful addition.
Falcons should dial up top free agent edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney
Jadeveon Clowney, 32, is expected to sign with a team before the regular season. It will be his 12th NFL campaign. The former South Carolina star is well known in Atlanta, which is SEC country. While Clowney was an enemy of the Bulldogs, he would be welcomed with open arms by Falcons fans.
After an incredible five-year stint with the Houston Texans to start his career, Clowney has become something of an NFL journeyman. His career arc is not what was expected when Houston made him the No. 1 overall pick in 2014, but Clowney has racked up accomplishments and experience all the same. He's a three-time Pro Bowl edge rusher with 139 QB hits and 58 sacks under his belt.
Spending last season in Atlanta's own division as a member of the Carolina Panthers, Clowney started 14 games, tallying 46 tackles, 11 QB hits and 5.5 sacks.
The Falcons would benefit immensely from Clowney's presence on several levels.
Jadeveon Clowney can bring production and leadership to Falcons defense
Clowney's days of elite production are in the rearview mirror, but he's still a dependable weekly starter. In Atlanta, there's a good chance he wouldn't even need to start every week, allowing the Falcons to get more bang for their buck.
With Clowney and Floyd, the Falcons would have two established edge rushers to lead the charge — both on the field and in the locker room, providing valuable mentorship to Walker, Pearce and Atlanta's other less experienced linebackers.
Given that he won't cost more than a fraction of his actual worth at this stage in his career, this is an exceedingly low-risk opportunity for the Falcons. Atlanta will need to convince Clowney to pass on more immediate Super Bowl contenders, like a Detroit or a Buffalo, but he could do a lot of good in the Falcons clubhouse. If the South Carolina native wants to stick in the southeast and still win a few games here and there, Atlanta is the place to be.