NFL free agent news is starting to heat up with the Cincinnati Bengals, Kansas City Chiefs, and Dallas Cowboys all securing key players for at least the 2025 season. However, one team that may be set to lose a key piece is the Atlanta Falcons.
According to NFL insider Dan Graziano, Falcons center Drew Dalman is expected to hit free agency and will likely be playing for another team in 2025.
Drew Dalman To Hit Free Agency, Will Have Plenty of Interest
After being drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Dalman played in all 17 games of his rookie season but didn’t make a start. That changed in 2022, though, when Dalman started all 17 games for the Falcons. Since then, he has started every game he has played for the team, including 14 games in 2023 and nine this past season.
Despite missing eight games with an ankle injury, Dalman finished the season strongly and should be perfectly healthy for 2025, despite Graziano projecting him to reach free agency. His performances in the nine games that he did play in 2024 saw him rank fourth out of 40 qualifying centers and earned him the No. 37 spot on PFSN’s Top 100 2025 Free Agents list.
𝗥𝗨𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗦: The #Falcons are “bracing” to lose center Drew Dalman in free agency, per @JFowlerESPN
Dalman is easily the best center in what is considered both a weak free agency and draft class at the position.
PFF rated him as the 4th best center out of 40 qualifying… pic.twitter.com/Sxvp2aTqFC
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) March 4, 2025
With teams always on the lookout for offensive line help, Dalman should have a very competitive market as arguably the best center across both free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft.
Why Aren’t the Falcons Re-Signing Dalman?
How does such a talented player, in such an important position, reach free agency?
Well, if you cast your mind back just one year, Atlanta made the bold move to sign veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract, with $100 million in guarantees. Less than a year later, Cousins is fully expected to be cut by the team, and their starting center is set to leave for nothing.
MORE: Simulate the NFL Offseason With PFSN’s Offseason Manager
The Falcons were heavily criticized for drafting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, having already signed Cousins. While some defended the decision to stock up on the most important position in football, it has backfired spectacularly, very quickly.
According to Over The Cap, the Falcons have the fifth-worst cap situation in the NFL heading into free agency with -$8.7 million in effective cap space. Five players have cap hits that exceed $20 million: Cousins ($40 million), safety Jessie Bates III ($22.25 million), guard Chris Lindstrom ($22.25 million), tackle Jake Matthews ($21.8 million), and DT Grady Jarrett ($20.4 million).
Where Could Dalman End Up?
Search “Drew Dalman” on X, and you’ll find that most of the speculation links Dalman to the Chicago Bears. The Bears could certainly use some offensive line help after Caleb Williams was pressured on 23.5% of his dropbacks in 2024. That was the ninth-highest pressure percentage among all quarterbacks with 10 or more starts.
According to PFSN’s OL+ rankings, the Bears had the 17th-ranked offensive line in the NFL in 2024. While far from ideal, these numbers were not horrendous, with PFSN’s Ben Rolfe saying it is “exceptionally unfair that the Chicago Bears’ offensive woes were largely blamed on the offensive line.”
Russell Wilson had it even tougher than Williams, facing pressure on 26.9% of his dropbacks for the Pittsburgh Steelers (24th in OL+). Pittsburgh has plenty of cap space heading into free agency and should definitely be interested in Dalman.
Other teams to keep an eye on would be the Denver Broncos (first) and Los Angeles Chargers (18th), while the New York Giants (27th) should be doing everything they can to rebuild their offensive line.
Whoever signs Dalman will do so having overcome significant competition for the player, and the O-lineman himself should reap the financial rewards that competition brings.