The Falcons have been one of the most active teams in free agency, which should come as no surprise. The club boasted the second most cap space coming into the offseason with numerous holes on the roster to fill.
Atlanta has signed several marquee free agents in Jesse Bates III and David Onimata, but the low-profile additions are just as important. Terry Fontenot has been heralded for his ability to find diamonds in the rough, and he is looking for a guard.
According to Mike Garofolo, before signing with the Jets, Trystan Colon visited the Falcons and chose New York over Atlanta.
The Ravens did not place a tender on the restricted free agent, and Colon reportedly had interest from several teams.
The 24-year-old former undrafted free agent spent the last three seasons in Baltimore as a reserve lineman, starting four games, including last year at guard against the Steelers, in which he impressed.
Most of his experience comes at center, but he plans to compete for the starting guard spot with the Jets. He has every chance of becoming a solid starter in this league; He has been impressed with the few opportunities he has got.
In contrast, the Falcons are still looking for more competition at left guard. Matt Hennessy, Jalen Mayfield and Justin Shaffer are interior options, but they’re not exactly inspiring.
Elijah Wilkinson performed admirably, so a similar team-friendly deal for a veteran should be in the cards. Granted, Atlanta’s offensive line saw a handful of players start at left guard with little difference in production. Therefore, Fontenote won’t have to spend a lot of cap dollars to acquire a capable addition to the competition.
Wilkinson is one option, but there are several others – Roger Saffold, Dalton Reisner, Colby Gossett and Nick Gates. Isaac Ceumalo is still available and would cost a significant financial commitment, but it would solidify the Falcons’ offensive line for years to come. The team cannot enter the 2023 season without adding some competition at the left guard position.
Source: www.yardbarker.com
