JUST IN: Falcons stormed top free agent deals among worst contracts signed this offseason’

With Kirk Cousins and Darnell Mooney, the Falcons agreed to deals worth over $200 million as soon as they emerged from the free agent gate.

You respond to those deals in two distinct ways, depending on where you live. They’re good bargains if you have an area code of 678, 404, or 770. They’re overpriced players if you’re from Tampa Bay, New Orleans, or any other place.

To some extent, all of them are right. Bleacher Report claims that Mooney’s $39 million, three-year contract, which includes a $26 million guarantee, is not just a terrible bargain, but also among the worst offseason signings.

Almost exactly the same contract as Davis’s Jacksonville signing, but with much more guaranteed money for a less experienced player.

This is way too much money for a player who has been confined to less than 500 yards in each of the last two seasons while only scoring three touchdowns in total. The Falcons presumably won’t have to put a lot of pressure on Darnell Mooney, but that’s still another reason.

Although he will undoubtedly have greater backing in Atlanta, it’s likely that we saw the 26-year-old at his peak earlier in his career.

They are correct on the surface. For a player coming off of a 414-yard performance, $13 million a year is pretty good, right? It’s not quite that easy, though. Because of their prior actions, teams are reluctant to provide contracts to players. Their attention is on the future.

Last year, Justin Fields averaged less than 200 yards a game and completed just 61.4% of his passes in 13 starts. Mooney was not going to display flashy numbers, of course. The previous year, Fields started 15 games and averaged less than 150 yards per game on 60.4% passing. All of Chicago’s pass catchers combined for less than 150 yards per game.

Kirk Cousins is the reason Darnell Mooney receives $13 million annually: he gives his team the ball. WR2s in Minnesota frequently finished with 800 yards in a season. Furthermore, the sophisticated data support Mooney’s predicament with subpar quarterback performance. He placed third among the best free agents from this year’s offseason in terms of receiving open vs. single man coverage.

Furthermore, he has missed 40% of his deep targets, while his new quarterback performs on the other end of the range.
Not only Mooney, but Kirk Cousins’ contract is also in jeopardy. The majority of people think the Falcons signed the veteran to a huge $180 million contract during the offseason, but Chase mentioned Pro Football Network. I believe Terry Fontenot, who has performed well in free agency, hit a home run this summer. We’ll see who is correct.