- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 390,062
- Reaction score
- 43
The Falcons haven't been very active thus far in free agency, mostly due to the situation regarding Kirk Cousins. The quarterback's massive contract has limited what the front office can do. The team has signed several fringe players, but retaining cornerback Mike Hughes may be the Falcons' best offseason move.
This isn't to suggest Hughes is a major difference-maker in the secondary, but more so an indicator of how little salary cap space the team is working with. Nonetheless, keeping Hughes is a win for now, and according to Pro Football Focus, he brings the most upside of any Falcons free-agent signing thus far.
"A year after deploying Hughes mostly from the slot, the Falcons moved him to the outside in 2024," wrote PFF's Ben Cooper. "His career splits suggest it was a wise decision: Before this past season, Hughes owned a 73.8 PFF coverage grade from a wide alignment (1,480 snaps) and a 38.8 mark from the slot (725 snaps)"
Pro Football Focus notes the team's decision to move Hughes from a slot guy to the outside. Hughes took 235 snaps as the slot corner in 2023, with just 60 out wide. In 2024, Hughes played just one snap in the slot. Accordingly, he took 628 snaps out wide, noting the switch as being key to his success.
Another Pro Football Focus analyst praised the Hughes signing as excellent value when it was announced.
"While this deal isn’t the splash in the secondary the Falcons needed, it's undoubtedly an excellent value signing to capitalize on Hughes’ improved play," wrote PFF's Mason Cameron. "He allowed a career-best 0.90 yards per coverage snap in 2024 and brings positional flexibility should he regress."
Hughes signed a three-year deal worth about $18 million. However, given the structure of the deal, it's likely a two-year outcome since the guaranteed money runs out after the 2026 season. This gives the team a chance to offload the contract if necessary during the 2027 offseason.
However, if Hughes continues his upward trajectory, his contract could look like a major bargain in a couple of years.
Check out our updated Falcons starting lineup projections and stay up to date with each move using our 2025 NFL free agency tracker.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Atlanta Falcons: Mike Hughes labeled highest upside free agent
Continue reading...
This isn't to suggest Hughes is a major difference-maker in the secondary, but more so an indicator of how little salary cap space the team is working with. Nonetheless, keeping Hughes is a win for now, and according to Pro Football Focus, he brings the most upside of any Falcons free-agent signing thus far.
"A year after deploying Hughes mostly from the slot, the Falcons moved him to the outside in 2024," wrote PFF's Ben Cooper. "His career splits suggest it was a wise decision: Before this past season, Hughes owned a 73.8 PFF coverage grade from a wide alignment (1,480 snaps) and a 38.8 mark from the slot (725 snaps)"
Pro Football Focus notes the team's decision to move Hughes from a slot guy to the outside. Hughes took 235 snaps as the slot corner in 2023, with just 60 out wide. In 2024, Hughes played just one snap in the slot. Accordingly, he took 628 snaps out wide, noting the switch as being key to his success.
Another Pro Football Focus analyst praised the Hughes signing as excellent value when it was announced.
"While this deal isn’t the splash in the secondary the Falcons needed, it's undoubtedly an excellent value signing to capitalize on Hughes’ improved play," wrote PFF's Mason Cameron. "He allowed a career-best 0.90 yards per coverage snap in 2024 and brings positional flexibility should he regress."
Hughes signed a three-year deal worth about $18 million. However, given the structure of the deal, it's likely a two-year outcome since the guaranteed money runs out after the 2026 season. This gives the team a chance to offload the contract if necessary during the 2027 offseason.
However, if Hughes continues his upward trajectory, his contract could look like a major bargain in a couple of years.
Check out our updated Falcons starting lineup projections and stay up to date with each move using our 2025 NFL free agency tracker.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Atlanta Falcons: Mike Hughes labeled highest upside free agent
Continue reading...
