Atlanta Falcons Depth Chart
- NFC South
- Stadium
- Mercedes-Benz Stadium
- Head Coach
- Raheem Morris
- Offensive Coordinator
- Zac Robinson
- Defensive Coordinator
- Jimmy Lake
- Special Teams Coach
- Marquice Williams
- Defensive Scheme
- 3-4
The Atlanta Falcons have released offensive lineman Justin Shaffer, according to Michael Rothstein of ESPN. Shaffer was selected in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Falcons out of the University of Georgia, and his stint with the team is set to end after just two seasons. The 25-year-old has been on and off Atlanta's practice squad during his career, and he has not appeared in a regular season game. He'll likely get a chance with another franchise, but it'll likely be on a cheap, one-year deal with the possibility of him being released before the 2024 campaign begins.
The Atlanta Falcons signed free-agent veteran wide receiver and returner Ray-Ray McCloud to a two-year deal worth up to $6 million on Thursday, according to a source. The Falcons have added McCloud and Darnell Mooney through free agency this week and Rondale Moore via trade to give the team much better speed and receiving depth behind No. 1 wideout Drake London. McCloud, 27, is known more for his returning skills on special teams and has just 90 receptions (134 targets) for 767 receiving yards and one touchdown in his six years in the NFL with the Niners, Bills, Panthers and Steelers. Buffalo's former sixth-round pick in 2018 out of Clemson will compete for a depth role at the receiver position in Atlanta this summer while also being a candidate to return kicks. He's off the fantasy radar.
The Atlanta Falcons are acquiring wide receiver Rondale Moore from the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday in exchange for quarterback Desmond Ridder, according to a source. Moore will give new quarterback Kirk Cousins yet another weapon in the passing game out of the slot. Drake London and tight end Kyle Pitts will be the top two aerial targets for Cousins in his first year in Atlanta, but Moore, 23, will provide plenty of speed out of the slot. The former second-round pick of the Cardinals in 2021 out of Purdue has scored just one touchdown in each of his three NFL seasons and had his best statistical season in his rookie year with a line of 54-435-1. From a fantasy perspective, it will be difficult for Moore to stand out in Atlanta after the Falcons also signed Darnell Mooney in free agency.
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (Achilles) said his recovery from a torn right Achilles that he suffering on Oct. 29 (Week 8) has been progressing "up and to the right." He also said that he's "optimistic to be full speed at practice" before the team breaks for summer in June. It's quite the optimistic statement from the 35-year-old veteran, but even if he's not quite full-go at the end of the team's offseason program, Cousins should be able to take part in training camp at the end of July. It's especially important since Cousins will be learning a new offense in Atlanta and trying to gel with his new receivers. The talent surrounding him shouldn't be a problem, as he'll have Bijan Robinson, Drake London and Kyle Pitts to work with. Fantasy managers should be more considered about an aging QB coming off a serious injury.
Free-agent wide receiver Darnell Mooney is joining the Atlanta Falcons on a three-year, $39 million deal, reported by NFL insider Ian Rapoport. The 2020 fifth-round pick out of Tulane posted 81 receptions for 1,055 yards and four touchdowns with Andy Dalton and a rookie Justin Fields as his primary quarterbacks in 2021, but he has not matched the production since. In 2022 and 2023 combined, he totaled 71 receptions for 907 yards and three touchdowns. However, he's now set to play with the best quarterback of his career, as Atlanta secured Kirk Cousins on a four-year deal on Monday. Mooney figures to be behind Drake London and Kyle Pitts in the target pecking order, but Cousins has supported up to three, and sometimes four, fantasy-relevant pass-catchers in a single season. Mooney is now on the fantasy radar as a sleeper and could hold flex value in 2024.