FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Evaluation of the 2024 roster and construction of the 2025 edition has already begun for the Atlanta Falcons.
Head coach Raheem Morris declared as much Monday, the day after the Falcons finalized their 8-9 record with a Week 18 loss to the Carolina Panthers.
"You start with your team first," Morris said. "That's what we're going to do this week. With end-of-season evaluations, you get a chance to talk about all you guys coming back, whether they're injured or whether they're on the team and healthy. You get a chance to evaluate those guys and kind of have a 360 all-around about our players. And then obviously that opens up into UFAs next and then obviously to our college draft and so on and so on."
It's a process that extends through the entire offseason.
Officially, the NFL's free-agent negotiating period opens on March 10. Players can sign contracts starting on March 12. All important 2025 dates can be found here.
Below are lists of all the Falcons' impending free agents, according to Over the Cap, based on their classifications as defined by NFL.com.
Unrestricted free agent (UFA)
Any player with four or more accrued seasons and an expired contract; free to negotiate and sign with any team.
* Note: Kicker Riley Patterson's starts and appearances were solely with the Falcons.
| PLAYER | POSITION | AGE | STARTS | APPEARANCES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lorenzo Carter | Outside linebacker | 29 | 11 | 13 |
| Drew Dalman | Center | 26 | 9 | 9 |
| Ross Dwelley | Tight end | 29 | 0 | 17 |
| Ta’Quon Graham | Defensive lineman | 26 | 0 | 10 |
| Richie Grant | Safety | 27 | 1 | 17 |
| Eddie Goldman | Defensive lineman | 31 | 10 | 17 |
| Antonio Hamilton Sr. | Cornerback | 31 | 0 | 11 |
| Demone Harris | Defensive lineman | 29 | 0 | 9 |
| KhaDarel Hodge | Wide receiver | 30 | 2 | 17 |
| Mike Hughes | Cornerback | 27 | 15 | 15 |
| Matthew Judon | Outside linebacker | 32 | 15 | 17 |
| Kevin King | Cornerback | 29 | 1 | 15 |
| Rondale Moore | Wide receiver | 24 | 0 | 0 |
| Storm Norton | Offensive lineman | 30 | 1 | 17 |
| Brandon Parker | Offensive lineman | 29 | 0 | 0 |
| * Riley Patterson | Kicker | 25 | 0 | 3 |
| Justin Simmons | Safety | 31 | 16 | 16 |
| James Smith-Williams | Defensive lineman | 27 | 5 | 10 |
| Kentavius Street | Defensive lineman | 28 | 0 | 13 |
| Elijah Wilkinson | Offensive lineman | 29 | 0 | 2 |
| Avery Williams | Running back | 26 | 3 | 17 |
| Josh Woods | Inside linebacker | 28 | 0 | 5 |
Restricted free agent (RFA)
A player with three accrued seasons and an expired contract. RFAs are free to negotiate and sign with any team, but their original team can offer them one of various qualifying offers ("tenders") that come with the right of first refusal and/or draft-pick compensation. If the tender is withdrawn by a team, the RFA becomes an unrestricted free agent.
| PLAYER | POSITION | AGE | STARTS | APPEARANCES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dee Alford | Cornerback | 27 | 11 | 16 |
| Harrison Hand | Defensive back | 26 | 0 | 0 |
| Kyle Hinton | Offensive lineman | 26 | 0 | 17 |
| Nate Landman | Inside linebacker | 26 | 9 | 13 |
| Liam McCullough | Long snapper | 27 | 0 | 17 |
| Ryan Neuzil | Center | 27 | 8 | 17 |
Exclusive rights free agent (ERFA)
Any player with fewer than three accrued seasons and an expired contract. If his original team offers him a one-year contract at the league minimum (based on his credited seasons), the player cannot negotiate with other teams.
* Note: Running back Robert Burns was placed on the reserve/PUP list prior to the 2024 season.
| PLAYER | POSITION | AGE | STARTS | APPEARANCES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Micah Abernathy | Safety | 27 | 0 | 6 |
| * Robert Burns | Running back | 26 | 0 | 0 |
WHAT THEY'VE SAID
Some Falcons players have been asked whether they'd like to remain in Atlanta.
Safety Justin Simmons on Jan. 5: "I honestly haven't given that a thought. Man, I love it in Atlanta. I think things are trending in the right direction. There's a lot of firsts here, but I've been a part of a lot of firsts in Denver, and I just feel like things are trending in the right direction. There's a lot to take away from it, man, but the locker room is unique. There's really great leadership. This place is in really good hands."
- The Falcons signed Simmons on Aug. 18, 2024. He was a top free agent after a standout run with the Denver Broncos, who drafted the All-Pro safety in 2016. He was immediately named the starter opposite safety Jessie Bates III. In 16 starts, Simmons had two interceptions, seven pass breakup and 62 total tackles.
Safety Richie Grant on Jan. 6: "I love Atlanta, man. Atlanta (is) home, first team – obviously. I feel like athletes coming in want to finish with their first team. But I'm leaving it in God's hands. I'm sure I'll have plenty of talks coming up, and whatever happens, happens."
- Grant was a starter in the secondary during the 2022-23 seasons after the team selected him in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He moved to a backup role in 2024 when the Falcons brought in Simmons. Still, Grant appeared in every game, starting the sole one Simmons did not. Grant broke up two passes and made 14 total tackles in 162 defensive snaps (15% of the team's total) and 349 special teams snaps (78%).
Center Drew Dalman on Jan. 6: "I'm not really going to discuss that kind of stuff. It's pretty personal, and it's team related."
- However, when asked about his overall experience since being drafted by the Falcons in 2021, Dalman said: "It's been an awesome experience, and I hope it continues and all that. Playing with incredible teammates over the years and having incredible coaches, I've enjoyed and savored every bit of it."
- Dalman has been the Falcons' starting center since 2022. He missed eight games in 2024 while on injured reserve due to an ankle injury. In the nine games he did play, Dalman took 92% of the offensive snaps. He allowed just 13 pressures and two sacks, according to Next Gen Stats, ranking among the best at his position in both categories.
