Training camp is almost here, and the Atlanta Falcons roster is almost complete. However, there are still a few holes on the team that could raise some questions:
- Are we really okay with the state of the edge rushers right now?
- Is rolling with Richie Grant or Demarcco Hellams the answer to the safety position opposite Jessie Bates?
- Who is playing cornerback opposite A.J. Terrell?
The last one is the most concerning. Outside linebacker/edge rusher is almost forgivable, given the pass-rushing dart throws made on the interior in the draft. While the safety position is a question due to Grant’s shortcomings in coverage and Hellams being an unknown, if thrown into starting duties, head coach Raheem Morris and defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake can be trusted not to put them in too precarious of a situation.
But the CB2 spot is a concern and has been since the beginning of the off-season.
Current State of CB2
Right now, the answer is second-year corner Clark Phillips III. But size concerns make me weary of committing to him when Morris runs cover-three frequently, potentially leaving him vulnerable to being stuck on an island with a taller receiver one-on-one with only the sidelines as a potential scapegoat. There are other options the front office has brought in: Kevin King, who hasn’t played in two years, or Mike Hughes, who is coming off an abysmal showing as a nickel cornerback last season. Even former Arizona Cardinal Antonio Hamilton, Sr. is an option who could sneak into the role after a solid year in the desert last season.
These are the current options, but they don’t foster much optimism.
Possible Answers
Two names stick out in the free agent market: Los Angeles Rams’ Akhello Witherspoon and Houston Texans’ Steven Nelson. Witherspoon would be a seamless fit, finding a role in a defense where he played some of his best football last season, and at a pretty good rate (He played for $1.08M in 2023, according to OverTheCap). Nelson would be more costly on the wallet (projected in the $8.4M range, according to Spotrac), but you get a proven commodity at the position that would be a great option as the second cornerback in a defense.
Either way, the Falcons only have $3.4M in cap space, and that feels like the usual amount Fontenot keeps in his back pocket in case he wants to make a move once the season starts. But, if Atlanta wanted to help shore up the second cornerback spot, the best way is to secure the primary cornerback spot.
Talking Turkey with Terrell
Terrell is set to be a free agent after this season and is currently playing on his fifth-year option, worth $12.34M. If the Falcons were to extend him, that would open up approximately $8.975M in cap relief, enough to make this move and possibly throw another dart on a free agent that catches their eye.
The current market for a cornerback maxes out at $21M APY with Jaire Alexander and the Green Bay Packers, but his four-year $84M contract only has $30M fully guaranteed. The most fully guaranteed money goes to recent Tennessee Titans cornerback L’Jarius Sneed whose four-year, $76M contract has him seventh in APY, but he has $51.5M of it fully guaranteed.
All that to say, for a bona fide number-one cornerback, the numbers should reach that $19M-$20M range. With the Cousins contract and the duo of Kyle Pitts and Drake London getting closer to having to be paid market value, finding a discount for Terrell’s services is a must.
Finding a middle ground between the new contracts from Sneed and Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson (~$19M APY) and Detroit Lions cornerback Carlton Davis (~$14M-$15M APY) seems like the fairest place to do business for both parties.
