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The complete list of 2020 Falcons free agents

As the team heads into next year, they have a number of useful veterans to consider keeping or cutting.

By Dave Choate
Atlanta Falcons v San Francisco 49ers Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images

The likelihood that the Falcons will be out there swinging for the fences with top-tier free agents remains pretty slim, even if they can reasonably free up quite a bit of cash with strategic cuts. The likelihood that they’ll try to bring back their own key free agents, especially on defense, remains quite high.

To prepare you for the offseason ahead, I’ve drawn up a quick list of every Falcons free agent. We’ll do our customary deeper dive into why the team may choose to keep or move on from each of these guys, but as 2019 draws to a close, we’ll get our table setting out of the way first.

Unrestricted Free Agents

  • QB Matt Simms
  • RB/KR/PR Kenjon Barner
  • FB Keith Smith
  • WR Justin Hardy
  • TE Austin Hooper
  • OG Wes Schweitzer
  • DE/LB Vic Beasley
  • DE Steven Means
  • DE Adrian Clayborn
  • DT Ra’Shede Hageman
  • DT Jack Crawford
  • DT Tyeler Davison
  • LB De’Vondre Campbell
  • LB/S Kemal Ishmael
  • CB Blidi Wreh-Wilson
  • S J.J. Wilcox
  • S Johnathan Cyprien
  • S Sharrod Neasman
  • P Matt Bosher
  • P Ryan Allen

There’s quite a bit of talent here. Austin Hooper figures to be the top priority as one of the league’s best tight ends, but the defensive line losses are something I’d watch closely. Adrian Clayborn had a good argument for the team’s second-best defensive lineman this past year, Beasley came on late, Davison is a rock solid run stopper the team loves, and Crawford has had stretches of great production as a pass rusher. Heck, Steven Means showed a lot of promise before his injury wiped out his 2019 season.

De’Vondre Campbell is still the second-biggest name on the list, however. He’s a player the Falcons have showed rock steady belief in from the moment they drafted him, and on balance he’s been a physical, well-rounded presence next to Deion Jones. I know they’d like to keep him and I expect them to try.

Beyond that, we’re talking key backups and special teamers, with Blidi Wreh-Wilson topping my personal wishlist. Sharrod Neasman and Kemal Ishmael should return as core players on Ben Kotwica’s unit, and Kenjon Barner did nothing but play well as a returner and occasional weapon on offense. It’ll be fascinating to see whether the Falcons choose to bring back Matt Bosher, their punter since 2011, or choose to go with steady veteran Ryan Allen. With Thomas Dimitroff’s favorable comments about specialists in this year’s class, it’s conceivable they may draft a punter for the first time in nearly a decade, too.

Restricted Free Agents

  • RB Brian Hill
  • DT Mike Bennett
  • K Younghoe Koo

I think the Falcons will probably bring back all three if they can. Hill’s time as a starter in relief of Devonta Freeman did not go particularly well, but he’s shown flashes of being a useful runner several times in the past, and the Falcons lack for proven options outside of him and Freeman.

Bennett was a player the team liked as a reserve, and if he’s healthy, they’re thin on the defensive interior and could use him.

Koo will almost certainly be back to compete for the kicker job in 2020, too, but we’ll talk more about that a little down the line.

Exclusive Rights Free Agents

  • WR Brandon Powell

Powell has been hanging around for a little while now, and would need to push past a lot of guys just to earn a roster spot in 2020. The team will probably keep him around to compete for a job this summer, however.

Who would you re-sign from this list?

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