The Atlanta Falcons still have their eye on the playoffs, but if their season ends in Week 18, general manager Terry Fontenot will begin turning his attention to the offseason, where improving the pass rush must be a point of emphasis.
The Falcons have had major issues getting to the quarterback in 2024, with Atlanta tallying the fifth-fewest sacks in the NFL. The trade for Matt Judon did not pay dividends, and the veteran will be a free agent in 2025.
With work to do on the edge this year, Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder thinks the Falcons should bring in Las Vegas Raiders edge rusher Malcolm Koonce in free agency in March.
“Edge-rusher has been one of the Falcons’ biggest issues this season, and Matthew Judon and Lorenzo Carter are impending free agents. So, the position should be a priority for the front office but it will need to be economical with only about $6.5 million of cap space available, per Over The Cap,” Holder wrote.
“Koonce has missed the entire season with a knee injury, so he might be willing to take a cheap prove-it type of deal. In 2023, the 26-year-old finished the campaign strong with eight sacks in the Raiders’ last nine games to be considered an up-and-coming pass-rusher in the league.”
In the final year of his $4.9 million rookie deal, Koonce suffered a season-ending knee injury before the season began. But in 2023, the former third-round pick had a breakout season, totaling a career-high eight sacks.
As Holder mentions, the Falcons are projected to be up against it in terms of cap space, so they’re going to need to find a cheap solution to their problem. Koonce may be that solution, as his market will almost certainly take a hit coming off a serious injury.
But he’s also going to come with some risk, partly because of the injury, but also because he doesn’t have a proven history of production. Prior to his breakout campaign, Koonce had just two sacks in his previous 22 games.
As far as the Raiders are concerned, they definitely like Koonce and will have an interest in bringing him back to pair him with Maxx Crosby again. Las Vegas will also have plenty of funds to afford him, whatever the cost might be.
Ideally, the Falcons bring in a more proven option, or at least pair Koonce with a more proven option. However, with their limited funds, Koonce might be the best Atlanta can do.
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