Kenneth Harrison
2027 College Football Breakout Players
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
I want to take a look at some of the top prospects around the South that should be drafted high in the 2027 NFL Draft.
RB Nate Frazier, Georgia: The junior was a four-star recruit and attended national powerhouse Mater Dei Catholic High School in Santa Ana, Ca. He was on the SEC All-Freshman Team in 2024.
Last season he played in 14 games and he started 10 of them. He rushed for 861 yards with 6 touchdowns and averaged 5.4 yards per carry. He also had 13 receptions for 74 yards and a TD.
Frazier re-aggravated an ankle injury in the G-Day Spring Game but it’s reported as a minor injury. As a feature back in 2026 he should have a big year.
OT Jordan Seaton, LSU: The 6’5, 307 pound Seaton spent his last two seasons with Colorado. He was a five-star recruit coming out of IMG Academy (Florida). He was Second-team All-Big 12 in 2025. His season ended due to injury after nine starts.
He’s great at pass blocking. He’s given up 5 sacks in 940 career pass blocking snaps. He’s a very good athlete that needs to improve his run blocking.
S Keon Sabb, Alabama: He played at Michigan his first two years before transferring to Alabama. The redshirt senior is 6’1, 208 pounds. He started all 15 games in 2025 and had 54 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 1 sack, 3 pass breakups and 1 interception.
WR T.J. Moore, Clemson: He’s 6’3, 205 lbs. so he’s a big, physical receiver. He was the only Clemson receiver that started all 13 games in 2025. He had 52 catches for a team-high 837 receiving yards and 4 scores. If he gets more consistent quarterback play, he should have a breakout year in 2026.
S KJ Bolden, Georgia: Bolden attended Buford (GA) High School, which is an elite program in Georgia. He started all 14 games last season and made 76 tackles, 32 solo, 2.5 TFL, 5 PBU, 2 interceptions, 1 fumble recovery and a blocked punt. He made the Coaches All-SEC Second Team.
He’s a great player that can do everything.
LB/Edge Suntarine Perkins: He’s a bit undersized at 6’1, 220 pounds. In 2024 he had 10.5 sacks, 2 FR and an interception. Last season he had 81 tackles, 41 solo, 4.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 2 FR and 1 pick.
He has good coverage for a linebacker. I think he’d be good at the next level for a defensive coordinator that will primarily use him at linebacker.
WR Ryan Williams, Alabama: He was great as a freshman. He’s most known for the game against #2 Georgia when he had 6 catches, 177 yards and a score. In 2024 he had 48 receptions, 865 yards and 8 touchdowns. He also had 2 rushing touchdowns. He was a Freshman All-American and First-team All-SEC.
Last season he regressed. He had 49 catches, 689 yards and 4 TD’s. I’m expecting him to bounce back this season.
CB Zabien Brown, Alabama: He’s 6’0, 194 pounds, so he’s a bigger corner. He recorded two pick-sixes that were 99 and 50 yards. He also had 39 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 1 FF and a team-high 6 PBU.
He’s a press-man corner that has good speed and length.
NFC South New Additions
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Let’s take a look around the NFC South and give power rankings for each team that includes the rookies that were added in the draft.
Atlanta Falcons: The Falcons needed WR, OL, DL, CB and LB.
They selected CB Avieon Terrell, WR Zachariah Branch, LB Kendal Daniels, DT Anterio Thompson, LB Harold Perkins Jr. and OT Ethan Onianwa.
I give their draft a B- grade. They did not have a first-round pick because it was traded to the LA Rams last year.
They picked Terrell (Clemson) who is the younger brother of current Falcon A.J. Terrell.
Branch (Georgia) should be able to contribute right away.
Atlanta has questions at the most important position, quarterback. They signed Tua Tagovailoa in free agency and he played poorly in 2025. Michael Penix tore his left ACL in November so I’m not sure if or when he will play this season.
For that reason, I expect them to finish last in the division.
Carolina Panthers: Their biggest team needs heading into the draft were OL, S, WR, TE and DL.
They drafted: OT Monroe Freeling, DT Lee Hunter, WR Chris Brazell II, CB Will Lee III, G/C Sam Hecht, S Zakee Wheatley and LB Jackson Kuwatch.
I give their draft grade an A.
They signed left tackle Rasheed Walker (Green Bay) in free agency to fill-in while Ikem Ekwonu is coming back from a patellar tendon injury.
Freeling (Georgia) was a Second-team All-SEC left tackle last season. I think he can come in and start right away. Nose tackle Hunter (Texas Tech) was a First-team All-American last season.
The Panthers won the division last season with an 8-9 record. QB Bryce Young drastically improved in his third season. Rookie WR Tetairoa McMillan was the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2025.
I think Carolina is the second-best team in the division but I think they will have a winning record in 2026.
New Orleans Saints: Their biggest team needs were WR, Edge, CB, DL and OL.
They picked: WR Jordyn Tyson, DT Christen Miller, TE Oscar Delp, G/C Jeremiah Wright, WR Bryce Lance, S Lorenzo Styles Jr., WR Barion Brown and CB T.J. Hall.
I give their draft grade a B+. They needed another WR to compliment Chris Olave so they drafted Tyson (Arizona State). He was First-team All-Big 12 in 2024 and 2025. He’s very talented but he dealt with injuries in college.
Miller (Georgia) was First-team All-SEC last season.
The Saints found their new franchise QB with rookie Tyler Shough. They signed RB Travis Etienne in free agency.
I think they’ll improve in 2026 and finish third in the division.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Their biggest pre-draft needs were Edge, CB, LB, OL and DL.
They drafted EDGE Rueben Bain Jr., LB Josiah Trotter, WR Ted Hurst, CB/S Keionte Scott, DT Demonte Capehart, G/C Billy Schrauth and TE Bauer Sharp.
I give their draft grade an A-.
Bain (Miami) was great in the College Football Playoffs. He won the Ted Hendricks Award and he was a Consensus All-American last year. He was also the ACC Defensive Player of the Year. I think he’s going to drastically improve the pass rush.
Trotter (Mizzou) was First-team All-SEC in 2025. His father is former NFL linebacker Jeremiah Trotter and his older brother, Jeremiah Trotter Jr. is also in the NFL.
They lost veteran WR Mike Evans in free agency to San Francisco. They hope Baker Mayfield can play like he did in 2024. Rookie WR Emeka Egbuka started the season strong last year but his play dropped off.
I think the Bucs will win the division.
AFC South Draft Newcomers
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2026 NFL draft is now over. We will take a look around the AFC South and see how each team did and give power rankings based on these moves.
Houston Texans: The biggest needs entering the draft were OL, DL, LB, edge and DB.
Draft picks: G/C Keylan Rutledge, DT Kayden McDonald, TE Marlin Klein, G/C Febechi Nwaiwu, LB Wade Woodaz, S Kamari Ramsey, WR Lewis Bond, LB Aiden Fisher.
Rutledge (Georgia Tech) was picked in the first round with the 26th pick. He’s 6’4, 316 lbs. and he has a lot of experience. He plays relentlessly through the whistle, finishing blocks with the ability to put defenders on their back. The Texans need the strengthen the offensive line so this was a good pick.
Quarterback C.J. Stroud has gotten worse in each of his three seasons. He made the Pro Bowl (2023) as a rookie but has struggled to play like that again.
Houston added running back David Montgomery (Detroit) in free agency. They have also overhauled the offensive line.
Houston has an elite defense that ranked first in total defense in 2025. Drafting defensive tackle Kayden McDonald (Ohio State) will strengthen the interior defense and help stop opponents from running the ball.
I think they’re the best team in the division and that’s considering inconsistent quarterback play. If Stroud can play like he did in 2023, the Texans will be Super Bowl contenders.
Indianapolis Colts: Their biggest team needs before the draft were edge, LB, S, OL and WR.
Draft picks: LB C.J. Allen, S A.J. Haulcy, G/C Jalen Farmer, LB Bryce Boettcher, EDGE George Gumbs, EDGE Caden Curry, RB Seth McGowan, WR Deion Burks
The Colts did not have a first round pick this year or next because they traded that to the Jets for CB Sauce Gardner.
I like the CJ Allen (Georgia) pick because they have a vacancy at middle linebacker. They traded LB Zaire Franklin to Green Bay for DT Colby Wooden. Franklin averaged 161 tackles over the last four seasons.
Indy started the season 8-5, then QB Daniel Jones went down on December 7, 2025 against Jacksonville with a torn Achilles. That injury typically takes one year to come back from so he should miss most of the 2026 season.
I pick them to finish third in the division.
Jacksonville Jaguars: The biggest team needs were LB, edge, DL, OL and S.
Draft picks: TE Nate Boerkircher, DT Albert Regis, G/C Emmanuel Pregnon, S Jalen Huskey, EDGE Wesley Williams, TE Tanner Koziol, WR Josh Cameron, WR C.J. Williams, EDGE Zack Dufree, LB Parker Hughes
Their first pick was at No. 56, where they drafted blocking tight end Nate Boerkircher (Texas A&M). The best player they drafted was OG Emmanuel Pregnon (Oregon). He has potential to become a starter right away.
The Jags hope Travis Hunter can return from his torn LCL and make a big impact in 2026.
They did lose their leading rusher Travis Etienne in free agency when he signed to New Orleans.
They should be second in the division but I’m not sure they’ll make the playoffs.
Tennessee Titans: The biggest team needs were OL, edge, WR, RB and LB.
Draft picks: WR Carnell Tate, EDGE Keldric Faulk, LB Anthony Hill Jr., G/C Fernando Carmona, RB Nicholas Singleton, DT Jackie Marshall, G/C Pat Coogan, TE Jaren Kanak
Carnell Tate (Ohio State) was the first receiver drafted at No. 4. It’s good they paired a weapon with second year QB Cam Ward. I think they drafted extremely well but they’re still a bad team.
Tennessee will finish last.
Spring Buzz
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Georgia Tech played their spring game over the weekend. Team Swarm won, 34-10 over Team Wreck ‘Em in the Yellow Jackets’ annual White & Gold Game.
The game consisted of four quarters – the first half with 12-minute quarters and standard clock operations, the second half with 15-minute quarters and a running clock.
Tech went 9-4 last season and finished ranked No. 24. They were ranked as high as No. 7 during the season and they were 6-2 in the ACC.
The 2026 roster features five returning all-ACC performers from last year’s team (PK Aidan Birr, OL Malachi Carney, LB Kyle Efford, RB Malachi Hosley and OL Ethan Mackenny) and 19 highly touted incoming transfers, headlined by RB Justice Haynes and QB Alberto Mendoza.
“Alberto is the guy,” coach Brent Key said when asked about the Yellow Jackets’ quarterbacks’ room after Saturday’s spring game.
Mendoza was named offensive captain for the spring game, completing 12 of 16 passes for 148 yards and one touchdown. The redshirt sophomore is the younger brother of Heisman Trophy winner, Fernando Mendoza.
Mendoza announced his decision to transfer less than 24 hours after winning a national title at Indiana, where he was the backup for his older brother, who is expected to be the No. 1 pick in this week’s NFL draft.
“Obviously, he still has to compete and still has to win the job, but he’s done nothing to disappoint me and think that’s not going to be the case,” Key told Georgia Tech’s radio network during the spring game.
Haynes transferred in from Michigan. Last season he rushed for 857 yards, 10 touchdowns and he averaged 7.1 yards per carry. The senior running back ran nine times for 48 yards in Saturday’s intrasquad scrimmage.
Sophomore running back J.P. Powell had a game-high 68 yards on just three carries, including a 56-yard touchdown run.
Senior running back Malachi Hosley averaged 6.2 yards per carry (4 carries for 26 yards) including an 18-yard touchdown. Last season Hosley rushed for 697 yards, 7 touchdowns and he averaged 7.1 ypc. He also had 14 receptions for 119 yards.
It looks like the Yellow Jackets will have a deep running back room, if these guys don’t transfer before the season.
Redshirt freshman tight end Kevin Roche Jr. had game highs with six receptions for 70 yards. His longest catch was 35 yards and he was always open and making plays for Team Swarm. He looks like he could have a big role going into the fall.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Grady Adamson and redshirt junior running back Chad Alexander were responsible for Team Swarm’s remaining three touchdowns, as the connected on an 11-yard scoring pass and each had 3-yard TD runs. Adamson completed 8 of 11 passes for 104 yards.
Sophomore wide receivers Debron Gatling and Jordan Allen had 47 and 42 receiving yards, respectively (Gatling’s included an 18-yard TD catch from Mendoza).
Defensively, transfer defensive ends Jordan Walker (Rutgers) and Noah Carter (Alabama) had two sacks apiece for Team Swarm, while redshirt senior defensive back Savion Riley led Team Wreck ‘Em with a game-high seven tackles.
Boys From The South
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
With the NFL draft only a few weeks away, I want to take a look around the NFC South and see what each team needs.
New Orleans Saints (6-11): The biggest team needs are WR, Edge, OL, DL and CB.
New Orleans has the No. 8 pick in the first round. They were not good in 2025 but it looks like they found their quarterback of the future in Tyler Shough.
Shough (Louisville) was drafted in the second-round last season with the 40th pick. He became a starter in Week 9 after the team fell to 1-7.
He set the franchise record for wins by a rookie QB and he became the first rookie quarterback with 300-plus passing yards in a game in Week 16’s matchup against the Jets. He was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month for his play in December/January.
He finished the season completing 221 of 327 passes for 2,384 yards with 10 touchdowns and 6 interceptions, he also rushed 45 times for 186 yards and 3 touchdowns.
I think they need another target outside of wide receiver Chris Olave. I expect them to select WR Carnell Tate (Ohio State). The 6’2, 192 lbs. receiver might be the best in the draft class. Last season he played 11 games and had 51 catches, 875 yards and 9 touchdowns.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-9): The biggest team needs are Edge, DL, CB, LB, OL.
They have the No. 16 pick in the draft. The Bucs won the division in 2024, going 10-7
Last season, they were tied with Atlanta and Carolina at 8-9. They have lost veteran receiver Mike Evans in free agency to San Francisco.
Tampa ranked 20th in total defense in 2025. They also ranked 19th in sacks with 37 for the season.
I believe they would select edge Keldric Faulk (Auburn). He’s 6’6 and 276 pounds. Last season he had 29 tackles, 5 TFL and 2 sacks. In 2024, he had 45 tackles, 11 TFL and 7 sacks. He was named third-team All-SEC (2025).
Carolina Panthers (8-9): The biggest team needs are OL, S, WR, CB, DL.
Carolina has the 19th pick.
The division champs saw quarterback Bryce Young drastically improve in his third season. Young went 8-8 as a starter, completed 63.6% of his passes for 3,011 yards, 23 scores and 11 picks. He also rushed 54 times for 216 yards and 2 TD’s.
Rookie wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan was the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year with 70 receptions, 1,014 yards and 7 touchdowns.
I think they’ll get OT Blake Miller (Clemson) to strengthen their offensive line. The 6’7, 317 lbs. tackle was named First team All-ACC (2024, 2025).
Atlanta Falcons (8-9): The biggest needs are WR, DL, CB, Edge, LB.
Atlanta has the #48 pick in the second round for their first pick in the draft. I went in depth about the Falcons roster and biggest team needs last week, so I won’t delve as deep today.
Because of where they’re drafting, we do not know who will be available. I am guessing they will select edge Malachi Lawrence (UCF). The 6’4, 235 lbs. defensive end was named First-team All-Big 12 (2025). He had 28 tackles, 11 TFL and 7 sacks last season.
Needy Falcons
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2026 NFL draft is less than one month away.
We are going to take a look at the Atlanta Falcons and see what the team’s biggest needs are after free agency.
Atlanta Falcons (8-9): Atlanta traded their 2026 first-round pick to the LA Rams last season to move up and draft DE James Pearce Jr. He had a very good rookie season in 2025, which includes 26 tackles, 10 TFL and 10.5 sacks.
The problem is the character issues that caused him to slip in the 2025 draft have surfaced.
In early February he stalked his ex-girlfriend, WNBA player Rickea Jackson in Miami. He appeared to intentionally hit her vehicle as she attempted to reach a police station.
The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s office has brought three felony charges against the pass-rusher. They are aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, fleeing and eluding police, and resisting an officer with violence to his or her person. He also faces a charge of aggravated stalking that was changed from a felony to a misdemeanor.
I’m surprised the Falcons have not dropped Pearce yet. With that said I think Atlanta can add an edge rusher to the list of what the team needs.
The biggest team needs are WR, DL, CB, Edge and LB.
Here is a list of the players Atlanta has acquired through free agency. QB Tua Tagovailoa, QB Trevor Siemian, RB Brian Robinson, RB Tyler Goodson, WR Jahan Dotson, WR Olamide Zaccheaus, TE Austin Hooper, Edge Samson Ebukam, Edge Azeez Ojulari, DE Cameron Thomas, DT LaCale London, DL Da’Shawn Hand, DL Chris Williams, LB Christian Harris, K Nick Folk and P Jake Bailey.
Atlanta did franchise tag TE Kyle Pitts. They also made a trade to Philadelphia for S Sydney Brown. He is the identical twin brother of Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown.
The Falcons receive Brown and 2026 fourth- and sixth-round selections, while the Eagles receive 2026 fourth- and sixth-round picks. Brown has started 9 games for the Eagles in his tree years with the team.
As you can see, Atlanta hasn’t really signed any marquee players. I believe they should add a playmaker at wide receiver to play opposite of Drake London.
Darnell Mooney was WR2 for the last two seasons. He was great in 2024, with 64 receptions, 992 yards and 5 touchdowns. Last season was terrible though. He only had 32 catches, 443 yards and 1 TD in 15 games.
The interior defensive line could use more size. The team also needs to upgrade the cornerback position around A.J. Terrell.
The Falcons only have five draft picks this year. They are; #48 (Round 2), #79 (Round 3), #122 (Round 4), #215 (Round 6) and #231 (Round 7).
It is hard to tell who will be available in the later rounds. I think the second-round pick will be an offensive or defensive lineman.
Edge Malachi Lawrence (UCF) might be an option. He had 28 tackles, 11 TFL and 7 sacks in 2025. He was also named All-Big 12 First Team.
Offensive tackle Max Iheanachor (Arizona State) could also be an option. He started all 14 games at right tackle and he played on 923 of ASU’s 974 offensive snaps on the season. He also posted the nation’s 38th-best grade on zone blocking run plays among tackles at 78.1.
New Sting Operation
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Recently, Georgia Tech fired men’s basketball head coach Damon Stoudamire
. When he was hired in 2023, I thought it was a great move. He’s a former NBA player and I thought that would lead to getting better recruits at Tech.
A 12-game losing streak to close the season left Georgia Tech with an 11-20 record and a last-place 2-16 mark in the ACC. Stoudamire went 42-55 over three seasons with the Yellow Jackets.
According to Stoudamire’s contract, Georgia Tech is set to owe him $2.6 million over the next two years, a number that is subject to offset if he takes another job.
Athletic director Ryan Alpert was hired in July from Tennessee. He’s in his first-year in Atlanta and he needs to make a move to save this program from becoming irrelevant. Tech has made just one NCAA tournament appearance since 2010.
“On behalf of Georgia Tech, I want to thank Damon for his commitment to the Institute, our men’s basketball program and, most importantly, our student-athletes,” Alpert said in a statement released by the school. “He is highly respected and admired throughout the Georgia Tech community and has been a strong representative of the Institute. We wish him the very best.”
Scott Cross was hired as the new head coach over the weekend. He was the head coach at Troy for seven seasons (2019-26) and he also served as the head coach at Texas-Arlington for 12 years (2006-2018).
Cross has won seven conference championships and 350 games in 19 seasons as a head coach – including five-straight 20-win seasons and back-to-back Sun Belt Conference regular-season and tournament titles at Troy.
“Coach Cross is a proven winner with 350 career victories and seven conference championships on his resume,” Alpert said in a statement. “His combination of experience, success and development of student-athletes, both on and off the court, makes him the perfect person to carry on the proud tradition of Georgia Tech men’s basketball. He is a great fit for our program, the Institute and the Georgia Tech and Atlanta communities.”
Tech deputy executive AD Brent Jones, who came to Tech from Troy, where he served as AD — made him the prime candidate for Alpert.
Cross has shown that he can take over a struggling program and turn them into winners. He has also excelled at developing players. He’s coached three conference players of the year (2025 – Troy’s Tayton Conerway, 2017 – UTA’s Kevin Hervey, 2010 – UTA’s Marquez Haynes) and 25 players that have earned all-conference honors in his 19 seasons as a head coach, including 12 first-team selections. The total includes four first-team all-Sun Belt honorees and six total all-conference selections in his seven seasons at Troy.
When he was hired at Troy, he took over a program that had finished with a losing record in eight of the previous nine seasons and had been to the NCAA Tournament twice since moving up to Division I in 1993.
Tech is currently the worst team in the ACC, so there’s nowhere to go but up.
Owl Madness
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Kennesaw State Owls men’s basketball team punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament.
They won the Conference USA championship on Saturday, March 14th. KSU (21-13) was the No. 6 seed and they beat No. 4 Louisiana Tech (20-14), 71-60 to claim their first-ever Conference USA title.
The Owls beat No. 3 Western Kentucky and No. 2 Sam Houston to advance to the championship game. They were 10-10 in conference play during the regular season, so this was very surprising.
KSU played their best defensive game of the season against LA Tech, holding them to under 27% from the floor.
The Bulldogs were held to 22-of-72 (26.3%) for the night from the field, and 9-of-37 in the second half for 24.3%. KSU’s defense was even better on the outside, as the Bulldogs made just 2-of-28 (7.1%) from three-point range.
Senior guard Jaden Harris finished with a game-high 18 points on 5-of-9 shooting, including 4-of-6 from three-point range, double the number of made threes that LA Tech had as an entire team.
Freshman forward Amir Taylor had 17 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals and 1 block. Sophomore guard RJ Johnson scored 13 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. Johnson was named the Tournament MVP after his third-straight double-figure scoring game in the tournament
“We played a tough, gritty competitive team in LA Tech. Talvin Hester is one of the best coaches in this league. He does a tremendous job, and we talked before the tournament and said, hey, we hope we meet each other in the championship, and we knew if we met each other, it was going to be a battle, and today was it. I thought we guarded these dudes really well. Defense and rebounding is what carries you in March. We were able to hold their two guards, [DJ] Dudley and [AJ] Bates, to, I think, 0-15 from three. And we knew that was going to be a tremendous challenge, because they are really, really dynamic players, and they go as they go. Our guys stood up to the challenge, and we were able to win the game. A great, great victory for our university, for our community, for our students. And how about our fans? I mean, we painted this place black and gold, man. Kennesaw showed up in a major way,” KSU head coach Antoine Pettway said after the game.
“Truly blessed and truly thankful I get to live out a dream and coach young men like these two sitting up here every single day. We going to keep going, man. We got practice at home on Monday, and we’re getting ready to go play in the NCAA tournament. God is so good. God is so good. This is what we prayed for, this is what we dreamed about.”
This was Kennesaw State’s second-ever trip to March Madness in the school’s Division I era, and first since the 2023-24 season.
They were selected as the No. 14 seed in the West Region. They played the No. 3 Gonzaga Bulldogs (30-3) at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon, about 350 miles away from Gonzaga’s campus in Spokane, Washington. This is Gonzaga’s 27th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and 28th overall.
Kennesaw State built an early lead on the Bulldogs but Gonzaga ended the first half on a 10-0 run to head into the locker room with a six point advantage.
Gonzaga would build a double digit lead in the second half and stage off a late comeback attempt by the Owls to eliminate KSU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, 73-64.
Tua To The Rescue?
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
There’s a famous phrase; one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.
How does that relate to NFL free agency you may ask? Well, the Atlanta Falcons have signed quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to a one-year deal. I think this is a terrible move but I understand it.
Releasing Tua will cost the Dolphins an NFL-record $99.2 million in dead money against the salary cap. That’s an absurd amount of money to get rid of a player.
He struggled last season, passing for 2,660 yards, 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions in fourteen games. He averaged 6.9 yards per attempt.
I’m not sure if that can be blamed on being on a bad team or just poor play from Tagovailoa.
This move does show Atlanta is invested in Michael Penix Jr. Penix tore his ACL in November so I don’t believe he will play next season.
Prior to his injury, Penix was inconsistent. He was only a second-year player but I did hope the Falcons would sign a QB to replace him.
At times Tua has shown flashes of being a good player. He is also very prone to injury. He did make the Pro Bowl in 2023 after throwing for 4,624 yards, 29 touchdowns and 14 picks. This was also the only season that he did not miss a game.
In 2024 he missed six games due to concussions. At that point, I thought he should have retired from football.
Tagovailoa is only 28 years old so he does have time to get better in his career. I believe he should be compared to the backup QB options on the market. From a financial standpoint, this was a great move.
The Dolphins still owe Tagovailoa $54 million. He plans to sign with the Falcons for just over the league minimum, reportedly about $1.3 million. That’s a great price for a good, veteran backup.
A good veteran backup QB salary is about $5 million. The Falcons could have spent more to sign guys like Joe Flacco, Russell Wilson, Tyrod Taylor and Jimmy Garoppolo. The only advantage I give them over Tua is injury history.
Money is an important consideration for the Falcons. They will only have about $20 million to spend under the salary cap once Cousins is officially released.
Signing a veteran backup QB for cheap means more money available to spend on free agents at other positions.
I wanted Atlanta to sign Kyler Murray but that would mean signing him to a longer contract. That move would also end Penix’s time in Atlanta.
The Falcons have a talented roster but I think it will get wasted again next year. I’m not a fan of hiring Kevin Stefanski as head coach, then adding Tagovailoa as the QB is the cherry on top.
They also don’t have a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft because they traded it last year to move up and select DE James Pearce. He has some recent off-field legal problems so he might not be on the team this upcoming season.
Falcons Failing Offseasons
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Atlanta Falcons have made a couple of big personnel decisions before the new league year begins on March 11th.
“The Falcons will release Kirk Cousins before the start of the league year, when his $67.9 million salary would become fully guaranteed under the terms of his reworked contract,” Dan Graziano writes. “Atlanta has to pay Cousins a $10 million roster bonus this year, whether he’s on the team or not, but it does not appear to be interested in bringing back Cousins.”
Atlanta signed Cousins in the 2024 offseason to a four-year, $180 million deal. I’m sure he expected to finish his career in Atlanta. Shortly after, however, the team drafted Michael Penix Jr. in the first round at No. 8 overall. At that point he never had stability in his position.
Cousins was benched for Penix toward the end of the 2024 season. His play did warrant that move because he was not moving the offense effectively. Then head coach Raheem Morris named Penix the starter heading into 2025 after just three starts, without holding a real quarterback competition during the offseason.
We have to grade the signing of Cousins as an F. Atlanta thought they only needed a quarterback to become a playoff contender, which is why they signed him. He did not lead them to the playoffs and now he’s gone after being there for less than two years.
The Falcons have also placed the franchise tag on tight end Kyle Pitts. General manager Ian Cunningham said it is the “right move” for the organization “right now.”
Per the general manager, the franchise tag is a way to “use the mechanisms provided by the league” — especially considering Cunningham just got to Atlanta, having been hired on Jan. 29 — to allow the team time to fully evaluate what they want for the future of Pitts and the position in Atlanta and how it relates to their roster construction.
“We’re not in the business of letting go really good players,” Cunningham said.
Pitts, who played on his fifth-year option in 2025, is coming off one of his most productive seasons. His yardage total ranked second only to his record-breaking rookie season after being selected No. 4 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. He had 88 catches, 928 yards and 5 touchdowns last season.
He has been an inconsistent player thus far. He disappears in some games and he’s too talented for that to happen. I do want to point out that having a thousand-yard season is not as impressive as it sounds. In seventeen games getting to one thousand yards means a player averages 58.8 yards per game.
Pitts had 1,026 receiving yards, 68 receptions and 1 touchdown as a rookie. He dealt with injuries in 2022 and only played in ten games. He had 28 catches, 356 yards and 2 touchdowns. In 2023 he had 667 yards and in 2024 he had 602 yards.
As you can see, there’s a reason to be concerned about signing him to a long-term deal. We will have to see if he will have another big season in 2026.
