FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The offseason is underway for 28 NFL teams. Atlanta has had a head start on the teams eliminated from the playoffs, but that might be a good thing considering how much work the Falcons have to do.
On that note, we’ve identified the top five items on their offseason to-do list. It starts with the coaching staff.
1. Fix the defense
This entry was “find a defensive coordinator” until Saturday night when the Falcons hired Jeff Ulbrich. The move was no surprise considering Ulbrich’s history with head coach Raheem Morris. Ulbrich and Morris worked together in Atlanta from 2015 to 2020. For most of that time, they were assistants on opposite sides of the ball, but when Morris was named interim head coach after the firing of Dan Quinn in 2020, he named Ulbrich defensive coordinator, the position Morris held that season until Quinn’s firing.
In 2020, the Falcons were 19th in the NFL in scoring defense (25.88 ppg allowed), 23rd in sacks (29), 26th in defensive EPA (minus-4.0 per 100 snaps) and sack percentage (4.4 percent) and 29th in defensive success rate (53.6) and yards per play allowed (6.2), according to TruMedia. Those last two numbers are Atlanta’s worst since at least 1999, according to TruMedia.
Ulbrich was one of seven candidates the Falcons interviewed, and the only one who had a strong previous professional connection with Morris, so the head coach has left himself open to being criticized for cronyism if this hire doesn’t work.
Ulbrich replaces Jimmy Lake, who was fired on Jan. 11 along with defensive line coach Jay Rodgers. The Falcons have not yet hired a defensive line coach. Aaron Whitecotton, who coached the defensive line for the Jets during Ulbrich’s time there, was scheduled to interview with the Packers for their defensive line position, according to the NFL Network.
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The job that faces Morris and Ulbrich on the defensive side of the ball is the most critical of the offseason for the Falcons. Their offense appears to be in good hands with quarterback Michael Penix Jr., wide receiver Drake London and running back Bijan Robinson.
The defense, though, is a mystery. Starting defensive tackles Grady Jarrett and David Onyemata will be 32 when next season starts. Arnold Ebiketie and DeAngelo Malone are the only outside linebackers under contract for the 2025 season, and the secondary was a mess too often last year despite having A.J. Terrell, Justin Simmons and Jessie Bates III.
The Falcons expected more from their defense, which was led by safety Jessie Bates III. (Candice Ward / Getty Images)
Ulbrich, 47, worked under head coach Robert Saleh, himself a longtime defensive coordinator, in New York. Under Ulbrich and Saleh, the Jets were one of the league’s most man coverage-heavy teams, playing man at the 10th-highest rate in the league (29.3 percent). That’s a stark contrast to the Falcons under Lake. They were 31st in man coverage this season (15.9 percent).
Those Jets also ran a 4-3, which is what Ulbrich and Morris ran in Atlanta in 2020. Since that season, the Falcons have bounced from a 3-4 base under Dean Pees in 2021 and 2022 to a 4-3 under Ryan Nielsen in 2023 and back to a 3-4 this season under Lake.
This season, the Falcons were 23rd in scoring defense (24.9 ppg allowed), 31st in sacks (31), 23rd in defensive EPA (minus-4.1 per 100 snaps), 20th in yards per play allowed (5.5) and 23rd in defensive success rate (57.2 percent) and yards per play allowed (6.2), according to TruMedia.
Whatever formation and scheme Morris and Ulbrich land on, if they don’t improve the results, their reunion will not be a happy one for Falcons fans.
2. Sign Drew Dalman, Mike Hughes and KhaDarel Hodge
The Falcons have a lot of decisions to make on 2024 starters who are set to be 2025 free agents. Three should be easy.
Dalman has started 40 games at center in the last three seasons. As a fourth-round pick in 2021, Dalman was making $3.3 million last season. That will go up next season, but the Falcons value the continuity of their offensive line and likely are willing to pay more.
Hughes, 27, just finished a two-year free-agency deal. He didn’t put up impressive numbers in Atlanta, but his value was underlined every time he left the game and the Falcons had to turn to younger defensive backs. They don’t appear to have enough bodies at cornerback to let Hughes walk.
Hodge, a seven-year veteran who just finished his third year in Atlanta, is headed to his first Pro Bowl as a special teamer and also caught seven passes, including a 45-yard game winner against Tampa Bay in Week 5.
Younghoe Koo had a difficult 2024 season, including an undisclosed injury to end the year. Will he be back? (Jonathan Bachman / Getty Images)
3. Determine Younghoe Koo’s health
In his season-ending news conference, Morris said, “We have to get Koo healthy, get him back.” That’s a pretty strong indication that the Falcons plan to bring back Koo as their kicker in 2025.
The seven-year veteran was 31st among kickers with 10 or more field goal attempts this year in field goal percentage (73.5). He missed three field goals in the Week 10 loss to New Orleans and was placed on injured reserve after Week 15.
The Falcons did not disclose the injury that put Koo on IR, but he had previously been listed on the injury report with a hip injury. He is under contract for two more seasons at a $5.5 million salary-cap hit in 2025 and a $5.75 million hit in 2026.
Atlanta would accrue only $2.5 million in dead-cap money next season by cutting Koo, but Morris seems determined to keep him. That makes sense considering Koo’s history. He made more than 86 percent of his kicks annually between 2019 and 2023, but it would be reckless for Atlanta to keep Koo if he’s not 100 percent healthy.
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4. Identify a backup quarterback
GM Terry Fontenot said he’s “comfortable” going into 2025 with Kirk Cousins as the backup. It’s unlikely anyone, including Cousins, actually wants that to be the outcome, so this item includes figuring out how to manage a Cousins’ exit. We discussed that in detail last week.
The next step will be replacing him. Michael Penix Jr. and Cousins are the only quarterbacks under contract for 2026. Nathan Peterman — a 30-year-old, six-year veteran — was the Falcons’ practice squad quarterback this season and could return in that role. Still, Atlanta would likely want an older player with more playing experience than Peterman to be an ear for Penix in his second year in the league.
Penix, 24, is easily mature enough to handle the starting job, but he spoke often in his rookie season about how much he valued being able to pick Cousins’ brain. He’ll still need that kind of voice next season.
So, who’s out there? Plenty of options, actually. Jacoby Brissett, Joe Flacco, Sam Darnold, Andy Dalton, Jameis Winston and Russell Wilson could all hit free agency this year. The Falcons need to identify who fits their criteria and get a deal done (assuming Cousins is not that player).
5. Find a pass rush(er)
Sign one. Draft one. Build one in an artificial intelligence lab. Whatever it takes, the Falcons need to acquire a double-digit sack player. We learned in 2024 that Morris can manufacture pass rush with scheme. They were second in the league in sacks after their Week 12 bye (21), but it didn’t result in better overall defense because they had to bend over backward collectively to get there.
The best way to solve that problem is to find an edge rusher who can win one-on-one matchups consistently. Ebiketie is improving, but it’s risky to bet he’s going to be that player next season. Who will it be? That’s a trickier question. There are no easy answers in free agency, and this is the time of year to decide if free agency or the draft is the better avenue to fix this issue.
Among free agents expected to be available, Khalil Mack will be 34 when next season starts. Haason Reddick was a headache for the Jets last year. Chase Young has been on three teams in the last three years. The entire free-agency edge rusher list is like that. Rolls of the dice.
The draft might be more promising. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler projects seven edge rushers going in the first round — (Penn State’s Abdul Carter, Georgia’s Jalon Walker and Mykel Williams, Tennesee’s James Pearce Jr., Marshall’s Mike Green, Ohio State’s JT Tuimoloau and Texas A&M’s Nic Scourton.) Identifying and attaining the right one of these players could make a huge difference for the Falcons in 2025.
(Top photo of Jeff Ulbrich: Luke Hales / Getty Images)
