Every offseason, teams across the NFL evaluate their respective rosters to determine how aggressive they need to be in free agency. For some, a lack of salary cap space (or a prioritization on retaining an already talented roster) causes them to take a more conservative approach. With little money to spare, little outside demand for changes and talent ready to return, these teams refrain from spending big on free agency player additions.
For poorer performing franchises though, a more aggressive approach is needed. Yet, many refrain from doing so. Whether it be the fear of shelling out too much money, the hesitancy to take risks on aging players or the ever-increasing reliance of NFL teams on building through the draft, less and less teams seem to be going for broke during free agency season — even if they have nothing to lose. In 2024, though, some teams have a chance to prove that aggressiveness can — and will — pay off.
Atlanta Falcons
The 2024 Atlanta Falcons are a prime example. In 2023, Atlanta went 7-10 and missed the playoffs — sure, not an abysmal record, but far from ideal given the young star power they had drafted on offense in recent offseasons: No. 8 overall Bijan Robinson (running back) in 2023, No. 8 overall Drake London (wide receiver) in 2022 and No. 4 overall Kyle Pitts (tight end) in 2021. Their roster had impressive pieces but not quite enough to complete the Atlanta puzzle.
For example, their quarterback situation was dull at best. They relied on 2022 third-round quarterback Desmond Ridder, who finished with just 12 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions thrown, to carry them through the majority of the season.
Desperate for a rebound in 2024, the team has splurged in free agency, spending over $180 million dollars on new players. One of these new additions, quarterback Kirk Cousins, seems to be that missing piece for the team.
Cousins has finished with a passer rating of above 103 in four of his last five seasons, including 2023. At the age of 35 (to be 36 at the start of the 2024 season) and coming off of a season-ending torn achilles, longevity is a fair concern. But for a team with the starpower that Atlanta has, moving from a quarterback who finished with an 83.4 passer rating in 2023 to a quarterback who finished with an 103.8 passer rating is a no-brainer regardless of age. And, to be fair, we live in an age where a quarterback playing into his mid-40’s is no longer impossible.
The Falcons are built to win now, especially with the addition of wide receiver Darnell Mooney, and Cousins can provide that short-term boost the team needs to get to the playoffs.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Another team in a similar “get over the hump” boat is the Pittsburgh Steelers. Ever since the loss of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in 2022, the Steelers have been in quarterback purgatory. Despite this, they haven’t had a losing season in that stretch.
In 2023, the Steelers finished 10-7 and earned themselves a wild-card spot in the playoffs. Despite their first round exit, the season proved just how close they are to a deep playoff run.
The Steelers had a carousel at the quarterback position last season, with Kenny Pickett, Mitchell Trubisky and Mason Rudolph all playing meaningful snaps. Most teams that finish with a total of 13 passing touchdowns across all 17 games, a collective passer rating of just 84.6 and a pass yards per game average of 201.2 would struggle to win even five games. But nonetheless, the Steelers won 10 games with those quarterbacking stats. Due to this, it’s safe to say that with even moderately competent and productive quarterback play, the Steelers could win more than 10 games in 2024 and make a deep run in the playoffs.
Thankfully, the Steelers went and got themselves just that — not once, but twice. First, they signed veteran Super Bowl-winning quarterback Russell Wilson. Wilson hasn’t been particularly Super Bowl-caliber as of late, but his 3,070 yards, 26 touchdowns and 98.0 passer rating in just 15 games played last season are a huge improvement over the Steelers’ previous quarterback play. In two less games played, Wilson doubled the Steelers’ total number of passing touchdowns on the year. Let that sink in.
Outside of the purely statistical upside Wilson provides, the Steelers obtained him practically for free. He’s still getting paid tens of millions of dollars per year by the Denver Broncos due to his guarantees in a 2021 contract agreement, so he hit free agency with a small price tag.
After signing Wilson, the Steelers brought in the Chicago Bears’ former franchise quarterback Justin Fields. Now, he’s considered a project, but with some time to sit behind Wilson, Fields might be able to turn the corner and start for Pittsburgh when Wilson (35 years old) retires.
Both the Steelers and the Falcons seemed to be a quarterback away from success at the start of the 2024 free agency frenzy. Now, they seem poised to turn the corner when the 2024 season rolls around.
Based on the acquisitions these two teams made, it seems like that aggressive free agency approach might just work. If Atlanta and Pittsburgh figure things out in 2024, we’ll know for sure. More specifically, the NFL will know that spending big in free agency can pay off — especially when only a few pieces of your puzzle remain missing.
