New coaches mean new opportunities to add free agents.
With Jeff Ulbrich in town as the new Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator and new hires on board with Nate Ollie and Mike Rutenberg, it’s natural to wonder who they might add.
While past connections don’t always translate to signings, Ulbrich’s ties to a talented Jets defense and Ollie’s work across multiple talented defensive lines in recent years mean there are worthwhile free agents the Falcons should look into with their limited dollars. Here’s a collection of a few that caught my eye.
ILB Jamien Sherwood
This is about as clean of a fit as you can possibly find. Sherwood was drafted the year Ulbrich took over the Jets defense and has worked with new passing game coordinator Mike Rutenberg over that entire time, as he was New York’s linebackers coach. Sherwood turned into a damn fine player with the Jets, and two men who cultivated his career are now with a Falcons team that has gotten far too slow-footed and listless at linebacker of late.
Sherwood is fresh off a season where he graded out (per Pro Football Focus) as one of the better run defenders in the league among inside linebackers, as well as an above average presence in coverage and a useful pass rusher. The Jets will likely prioritize keeping him around, but the Falcons should make every effort to pry Sherwood loose and reunite him with Ulbrich and Rutenberg in Atlanta, where he would be a huge addition to a group that cannot count on a healthy Troy Andersen being a solution in 2025.
EDGE Derek Barnett
The last two times Barnett had five sacks seasons were in 2019 and 2020 with Nate Ollie as his assistant defensive line coach…until he joined up with the new Falcons defensive line coach and company in Houston and hit that milestone in 2024. Barnett was a really good player last year, because in addition to his five sacks in a part-time role, he was also an excellent run defender for a Texans defense that was pretty damn dominant.
Barnett’s familiarity with Ollie might help lure him to Atlanta, considering the veteran defender has had the best three seasons of his career when he’s worked with him, and his well-rounded game is sorely needed in an EDGE group that put together a deeply forgettable 2024 outside of Arnold Ebiketie.
DL Javon Kinlaw
He just enjoyed a career season, his first fully healthy, 17 game start year in the NFL, under Ulbrich with the Jets. That featured 4.5 sacks and a year Pro Football Focus ranked as the 39th-best among interior defensive linemen in terms of pass rushing prowess, though he was a shaky run defender for New York.
All that said, Kinlaw’s talent has long been evident, and adding him to a group that needs more pass rushing help feels like a good bet for the Falcons. The question is likely to be cost and desire, as Kinlaw will likely be pursued not just by the Jets but former coach Robert Saleh, who worked with him in both San Francisco and New York and is now back with the 49ers.
DL Mario Edwards Jr.
Consider him an older, budget-friendly version of Kinlaw, in that he’s a more useful pass rusher than run defender with a few years on Kinlaw and without the ability to talk yourself into some phantom upside. Fresh off a three sack season with Ollie in Houston, Edwards would be a solid passing down option to give the Falcons a bit more juice getting after the passer, which they can always use.
S Jalen Mills
The longtime Patriot and Eagle spent last season with the Jets, and acquitted himself well in a reserve safety role. Coincidentally, the Falcons have quite the need for safety help, with Richie Grant set to hit free agency alongside Justin Simmons and DeMarcco Hellams returning from an injury that wiped out his entire 2025 season.
Mills could be a nice stopgap starter for a young safety if the Falcons go the draft route or plan to install Hellams opposite Jessie Bates, and at the very least, he’s a very useful reserve who would likely sign on for an affordable, short-term deal. The only caveat? He’s coming off a season-ending injury, too.
Who would you add from this list, or do you have your eye on someone I didn’t mention?