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The most obvious re-signing this offseason was unquestionably Younghoe Koo. The exclusive rights free agent is young, affordable, and more than that, legitimately terrific. He had a Pro Bowl season in 2020 after putting together perhaps the finest single season in Falcons history, bailing out countless Atlanta drives that stalled out with a strong and accurate leg.
The Falcons thankfully didn’t overthink this one, and Koo is back to build on his 2020 campaign, with a long-term deal potentially looming a little down the line. The Falcons also brought back cornerback Tyler Hall and wide receiver Christian Blake.
We have re-signed K Younghoe Koo, DE Jacob Tuioti-Mariner, CB Tyler Hall and WR Christian Blake.
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) March 11, 2021
Koo finished 2020 with 37 field goals, converting at a 94.9% clip, and set the franchise record with both marks. He was superlative throughout the year, nailing all 8 of his attempts from beyond 50 yards and 8 of 9 of his attempts from 40+ yards, and was effective on kickoffs as well. Going from the great Matt Bryant to Koo was unbelievably savvy and lucky for Atlanta, and this re-signing keeps him with the Falcons for at least one more year as he tries to build on one of the most successful seasons in franchise history. It’s good to have him back.
In addition to Koo, the Falcons re-signed fellow exclusive rights free agents Tyler Hall and Christian Blake. Hall is an intriguing, athletic cornerback who showed some special teams chops and has a college history as a returner, and should round out the team’s depth chart at the corner position in 2021. Blake is sure-handed and will compete for a role in a crowded wide receiver group, hoping to carve out a larger role than he did with Dirk Koetter and company at the helm of the Falcons offense. Jacob Tuioti-Mariner was also re-signed, but Ian Rapoport reported that a little earlier in the day, so we already knew that.
These are all no-brainer signings, given their relative cost, but Koo and Tuioti-Mariner will be key pieces of the 2021 Falcons, and Hall and Blake both figure to add value for a cap-strapped team with holes everywhere. I’m glad to see all of them return.