With just 10 days to go before final roster cuts, the Falcons will have to make several tough decisions at key positions. One of the most important battles remains at the cornerback position. While they signed former first-round pick C.J. Henderson on Thursday, Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox urged Atlanta to bring in some veteran help in the form of a Super Bowl champion free agent.
Free Agent Cornerback Rasul Douglas Remains Available
While Knox noted that he’s not too surprised that Rasul Douglas remains unsigned, the veteran cornerback “likely has plenty to offer a team in need of secondary help.” The free agent has recorded 19 interceptions (three for touchdowns) and 79 passes defended across eight seasons.
Unfortunately, Douglas is coming off one of his worst seasons as a pro. In 2024, he allowed a career-worst in both completion percentage (72.9%) and opposing passer rating (122.0).
If the Falcons are interested in signing Douglas, they will be banking on a return to his production in 2022 and 2023. While he didn’t earn a Pro Bowl nod, Knox called him “a bona fide playmaker” during those two seasons.
Last month, senior NFL insider Josina Anderson reported that the free agent had drawn interest from “multiple teams.” According to Anderson, Douglas “didn’t move on an offer from the Miami Dolphins.”
As Knox noted, “Douglas may want to find familiarity this late in the summer,” giving the Falcons a unique edge. During his time with the Packers in 2022, the free agent cornerback worked with Atlanta’s assistant head coach Jerry Gray and secondary coach Justin Hood.
The Falcons sit near the bottom of the league in terms of cap space, but they still have a little over $5 million to work with, according to Spotrac. Knox noted that Douglas “would be a fine budget option,” based on their lack of cap space.
Ultimately, Knox believes the Falcons will make a move to sign the free agent before Week 1 of the regular season.
Falcons Would Add Experience at Key Position
Back in March, at the open of free agency, NFL Daily host Gregg Rosenthal put together his list of the top 101 free agents. Originally, Douglas landed at No. 80, with Rosenthal noting that Douglas’ diminishing speed “could make him a risky free-agent pickup.”
But, the Falcons secondary can use all the help it can get. In 2024, Atlanta joined Carolina as the only two teams to record fewer sacks (31) than passing touchdowns allowed (34).
While that’s more an indictment on their pass rush, they also surrendered the highest completion percentage (69.9%) and the fourth-highest passer rating (100.2). The problems may stem from the lack of pass rush, but the backend didn’t do their job effectively enough, either.
Yesterday, Falcons Senior Reporter Tori McElhaney released her 53-man roster projection, writing that her “most difficult cut” came at the cornerback position. If they add free agent Rasul Douglas, there would need to be a corresponding move to cut another player. So, that could make it an even more difficult decision in the defensive backfield.
McElhaney projected that the following six cornerbacks would make the roster:
As of now, it seems like A.J. Terrell is the only cornerback in that group to cement a starting spot. So, it’s fair to say that free agent Rasul Douglas could represent an upgrade at the position. At the very least, he could offer some experience, veteran leadership and depth.
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