The Atlanta Falcons’ future is in the hands of quarterback Michael Penix Jr., and not Kirk Cousins. The veteran may even retire. But looking ahead to 2025, here are two sneaky good NFL free agents the Falcons need to sign.
First and foremost, the Falcons must get better on defense. And a quick way to improve is by signing Miami Dolphins safety Jevon Holland. A second-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Holland is considered the No. 3 free agent, according to Pro Football Focus.
“A second-round draft pick out of Oregon in 2021, Holland has ranked as one of the five highest-graded safeties in two of his first three seasons in the league,” PFF wrote. “He earned a career-low 63.0 PFF overall grade in 2024, but his body of work more than speaks for itself.”
Falcons should pursue Dolphins S Jevon Holland
ESPN’s Matt Bowen isn’t as high on Holland as Pro Football Focus. He ranked him at No. 11, according to espn.com.
“Holland has the multidimensional traits that pro coaches look for at safety,” Bowen wrote. “He can play from depth, cover in the slot or mix it up as a box defender. The splash plays were missing from Holland’s tape this season, as he failed to record an interception. But he does have five interceptions, 16 pass breakups, five forced fumbles and five sacks over his four years with Miami.”
One thing to consider about Holland’s 2024 season is his struggle with injuries. In January, Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel talked about his usage of Holland, according to dolphinswire.com.
“He’s been battling for a while,” McDaniel said. “We’re trying to keep him involved without having him have more setbacks. He was battling through it tonight for sure. What he’s been working back from was not the easiest and he’s diligent about it.”
Dolphins pass game coordinator for the secondary, Brian Duker, said Holland played better than some realized, according to palmbeachpost.com. Safeties can make impacts when teams avoid testing them.
“I’m probably higher on the safeties than you guys are,” said Duker. “I think from an execution, communication standpoint, it’s really good. I think a lot of times that can be true of safety. They took away the deep part of the field and they don’t touch you because they’re a little bit scared.
“And also, I’m not going to take that as a shot at anybody, I just think that sometimes there’s a place that don’t show up in the stat sheet that those guys do effectively that they don’t get enough credit for.”
Continuing the focus on defense, the Falcons should take a shot at …
Raiders Malcolm Koonce could help Falcons
Atlanta doesn’t have a big bucket full of cash to chase free agents, but targeting Koonce might be a good idea. He missed all of 2024 with an injury, but showed breakout skills in 2023.
His injury recovery could make him more affordable. Former Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce saw Koonce as a huge loss when he went down in preseason, according to Sports Illustrated.
“If there’s one injury that really frustrated and hurt me this year, it was Malcolm,” Pierce said. “Because he had a hell of a training camp, really, a hell of an offseason. Then we go into training camp, and I mean, he’s looking really, really good. And I know it’s against our offense, and we’ve got a couple of games in preseason, but the bend, the power, the confidence was back. I mean, he had that swag to him.
“And when he went down that Thursday, it hurt our team. You felt it. You felt the emotional drop within the building, and it was a sad moment. But to Malcolm’s credit, seeing him in the building every day, working out and starting to get his little juices back to him. It’d be good to have him back because, I mean, he’s just on the brink of being a really good football player. And it’d be good to see him come back as a Raider and do what he needs to do for us to win.”
And it appears Pro Football Focus agrees, ranking him No. 16. Meanwhile, ESPN shoves Koonce down to No. 28.
“If Koonce hadn’t suffered a season-ending knee injury before 2024 began and instead carried over his momentum from the back half of 2023, he could’ve been squarely within the top 10 of our list,” PFF wrote. “Perhaps the silver lining, if there is one, to getting injured so early in the year is that Koonce should be healthier entering the free agency period than if he got hurt during the season. A short-term deal where Koonce can hit the market again in 2026, or sign an extension one year into a two-year deal à la recent edge defenders like Uchenna Nwosu, could make sense.”
With a new defensive coordinator in Jeff Ulbrich, the Falcons could make good use of improved talent. Ulbrich said the defensive coaching staff will be a collaboration, according to Sports Illustrated.
“We have an amazing defensive staff,” Ulbrich said. “Guys that have been around great defenses. Guys that understand ball at a high level. And it would be criminal of me not to take advantage of these guys.”
Of course, Morris will be a loud voice in that room. Keep in mind, Morris is a defensive-minded head coach. That makes a difference for the team’s approach.
“We’re going to have some hard conversations,” Ulbrich said. “And that’s another thing that’s beautiful about this opportunity for myself. The equity in the relationship I have with Raheem is such that we can have drag out. Like if you were an outsider looking in, you’d be like, ‘Damn, they hate each other.’ But we’re capable of having those really, really hard conversations, but understanding that we’re trying to create something special, and when we walk out that door, we walk out that door together.”
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