Falcons re-sign kicker Younghoe Koo, punter Ryan Allen for 2020

We’ve all been eagerly awaiting news on re-signings and cuts for the Falcons this week. We knew moves would be coming soon. Today, the Falcons made two fairly significant ones for the 2020 season by re-signing kicker Younghoe Koo and punter Ryan Allen to one-year extensions.

With no other kickers under contract and long-time punter Matt Bosher slated to hit free agency after an injury-plagued 2019, the Falcons were facing potential holes at both spots. Atlanta was apparently encouraged enough by what they saw from both Younghoe Koo and Ryan Allen—who both joined the 2019 team midseason—to bring them back for another shot in 2020.

Younghoe Koo has only played in two NFL seasons thus far after joining the Los Angeles Chargers as a UDFA in 2017. He appeared in four games, going 3-6 in field goal attempts, before being cut loose. Koo spent the 2018 season as a free agent. The Falcons signed Koo midseason in 2019, and he first appeared for the team in Week 10 against the New Orleans Saints. Koo hit all 4 of his field goal attempts in that game, contributing to a 26-9 upset victory. He would go on to finish the 2019 season by hitting 23 of 26 FGs (88.5%) and 15 of 16 XPs (93.8%). Koo is currently just 25 years old and will turn 26 just before the start of the 2020 season.

Ryan Allen has been in the NFL since 2013, spending all six of his first seasons with the New England Patriots. Allen appeared in 96 games for the Patriots, showcasing his remarkable durability, and averaged an impressive 45.3 yards per punt during that time period. He was then cut to save cap space by the Patriots just prior to the 2019 season. After Matt Bosher’s injury, the Falcons signed Allen and he first appeared in Week 10 against the New Orleans Saints. In all, Allen played eight games with the Falcons, averaging a respectable 41.9 yards per punt.

The Falcons also recently re-signed Australian punter Sam Irwin-Hill for the 2020 season, so there appears to be some indication of a camp battle between Irwin-Hill and Allen. There was some speculation that Atlanta might add a kicker in the 2020 NFL Draft—or perhaps in undrafted free agency—but with Koo returning, that may not be as necessary.

What are your thoughts on these signings for the Falcons? Do you think the team is more or less set with Allen and Koo manning the kicking and punting duties in 2020, or do you think they should continue to add pieces?