5 potential landing spots for Cowboys WR Michael Gallup in free agency
4. Atlanta Falcons
The poor Atlanta Falcons continue to struggle. They haven’t had a winning season since 2017. Although this year’s record of 7-10 was an “improvement” from last year’s 4-12, it doesn’t seem like firing Dan Quinn did all that much.
The sad thing with the Dirty Birds is that they seem to always have the talent, but they just can’t seem to get that talent to perform in Atlanta. Julio Jones was often injured in his final seasons with Atlanta and left for Tennessee, and a former powerhouse in Todd Gurley couldn’t seem to do anything for the Falcons.
Right now, their starting wide receivers are small names who haven’t helped QB Matt Ryan do much of anything. Russell Gage, Tajae Sharpe, and Olamide Zaccheaus aren’t exactly the dream starting receiver corps.
And while Atlanta had high hopes for Calvin Ridley, personal issues with mental health have sadly kept him out of a majority of this season. There are now rumors that Ridley and the Falcons may part ways leaving another vacancy.
From @gmfb Weekend on the future of #Falcons WR Calvin Ridley. My read here is a trade is a very strong possibility.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) January 15, 2022
My colleague @wyche89 said recently both sides could be looking for a fresh start. I agree. pic.twitter.com/AoPy7UPHDo
Atlanta does have a great talent in Kyle Pitts, but even though you might mistake him for a wideout at first sight, he’s still a tight end. Adding a great receiver like Gallup would be an excellent choice for the Falcons. They are currently $2 million over the cap, but releasing certain guys and making big trades would get them where they need to be.
Gallup can make elite contested catches over tough corners in the NFC West. Considering the Falcons likely can’t afford big names like Davante Adams and Chris Godwin, a solid, young player like Gallup could be a smart long-term choice.