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We continue our review of Thomas Dimitroff’s time as GM of the Falcons. Today, we take a look at 2014 free agency. This particular period was critical for the team, as the team was coming off a dismal 4-12 season and both Mike Smith and Thomas Dimitroff were considered to be on the hot seat. Hitting big in both the draft and free agency would be critical to bouncing back in 2014. Did it happen?
Falcons 2014 free agents
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This was neither a terribly great or terribly bad free agent class. Tyson Jackson was clearly overpaid, while Soliai probably was as well but at least performed decently. Asamoah would have gotten a 4 or 5 if the new regime had kept him around, as he had a very good 2014 season. Hester played well, but missing most of 2015 reduced his overall value.
Of the guys on the list, the best value came from Wilson - who filled in nicely as our 3rd corner - and Weems, who returned as a special teams guru.
However, in a year where the team needed a home-run, it hit a single.
Seahawks 2014 free agents
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The Seahawks didn’t do much in 2014 free agency, as they already had a pretty great roster (mostly) by this point. Their moves in free agency are reflective of this.
Browns 2014 free agents
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The Browns threw some money around, but got mixed results in 2014. Whitner played ok, but was probably not worth the big contract they gave him. Dansby was a great signing while Ben Tate and Miles Austin were both pretty bad.
Giants 2014 free agents
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The Giants did really well in signing Cromartie and Ayers, but otherwise got very little in return for the money spent.
Conclusion
The Falcons dive into free agency in 2014 wasn’t a disaster, but it didn’t do enough to help the team fully bounce back from the 2013 season. Ultimately, the combination of poor drafts, questionable coaching and tepid free agent returns lead to the firing of Mike Smith after this season. In any normal year, this free agent class may be considered “decent,” but given the results on the field, it’s hard to be overly excited about the players that were brought in.