Disclaimer: The statements and opinions regarding players and/or potential future players in the article below are those of the AtlantaFalcons.com editorial staff and are not of the Atlanta Falcons' football personnel unless noted in a direct quote.
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons have a few offseason agenda items regarding the future of their defense.
If defensive tackle is on that agenda, however, it's likely not because the team wants to add to that group.
According to Over the Cap, starters Grady Jarrett and David Onyemata will cost more than $37 million against the salary cap in 2025. The team could save roughly $8 million by moving on from Onyemata and more than $16 million by moving on from Jarrett, although that move isn't so simple. Atlanta also drafted Ruke Orhorhoro and Brandon Dorlus last year, and it would conceivably like to get them in the rotation along with Zach Harrison. You get the picture, it's a crowded group.
And yet, because the Falcons could look at freeing up some finances through this position, there's a chance they will still need to add a player in free agency at some point. With that in mind, Terrin Waack recently published her list of five free agents who could make sense for Atlanta at defensive tackle. Of the players on that list, Jarran Reed was the one who stood out to me.
For the reasons I laid out above, I'm assuming that signing a free agent defensive tackle means the Falcons have parted ways with either Jarrett or Onyemata (or both). In that scenario, I think Reed offers a middle path that Atlanta would be wise to take.
He'd still be somewhat costly — Over the Cap has his market value at $5.68 million — but not as expensive as the current setup, and the 32-year-old Reed could become a designated pass rush specialist. The last two seasons, Reed has a combined 41 pressures and 11.5 sacks. His quarterback pressure rate of 10.5% in 2024 ranked ninth among qualified defensive tackles.
Schematically, Reed should fit the hybrid defensive looks head coach Raheem Morris and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich envision. He's been an effective one-gap pass rusher throughout his career with 38.5 sacks to his name, but he's also become a stout run defender with 46 stops since the start of the 2023 season.
The Falcons are well set up on offense for the near future, but the defense is poised to be shaken up the next couple of offseasons. Getting a player like Reed on a financially reasonable short-term deal keeps a certain floor in place for the defensive line if a pivot were to happen.
