Story by
Falcons projected to lose key offensive lineman to AFC contender
- Story by
- Falcons projected to lose key offensive lineman to AFC contender
Just when we thought the Atlanta Falcons had fixed their salary cap issues, another bad quarterback contract could put them in another bad spot. Kirk Cousins is going to get paid either way, but his likely exit will hurt the team in free agency.
The Falcons are on the verge of losing two former Pro Bowl defenders, Matthew Judon and Justin Simmons , but their biggest loss could come along their offensive line. Center Drew Dalman , who's developed into a quality starter over the last few seasons, is set to become an unrestricted free agent. Considering his age (26) and production, Dalman is arguably Atlanta's top free agent going into 2025.
Advertisement
There should be no shortage of teams interested in signing him if he hits the open market. We would expect the Falcons to attempt to bring Dalman back but the market may dictate where he plays next season. In a new free agency feature from ESPN's Aaron Schatz, Dalman lands with the Houston Texans .
"Dalman would stabilize the middle of that line and will turn 27 next season. He started only nine games this past season because of an ankle injury but had a 95.1% pass block win rate when healthy," wrote Schatz . "In 2023, his 94.0% PBWR ranked 10th among qualified centers. Dalman also fits a Houston running game that uses a lot of outside zone; no offense ran more outside zone than Atlanta this past season."
With Michael Penix Jr. in place, the Falcons should be interested in bringing back Dalman for the sake of continuity. If the team loses its starting center, look for Atlanta to bring back Ryan Neuzil to start in 2025. The veteran backup filled in admirably for Dalman last season and would be a more affordable option.
Check out the full list of Atlanta Falcons players set to become free agents when the new league year begins on March 12.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Free Agency: Falcons' Drew Dalman projected to sign with Texans
