The Atlanta Falcons have a lot of needs they plan on addressing in free agency and one of them is the tight end position. The Falcons have yet to recover from the retirement of Tony Gonzalez who was Mr. Reliable during his tenure with the team. They cannot afford to go into the season with Levine Toilolo and a rookie acquired in the draft which makes the free agent market important for the team in 2015.
There are several big names at the tight end position hitting the free agent market and the Falcons will likely look at all of them. According to ESPN's Vaughn McClure the Falcons are going to take a real interest in Washington Redskins tight end Niles Paul. There is a chance that Paul re-signs with the Redskins as they work through their free agency issues, but if not the Falcons will aim to take first crack at him.
Paul is certainly not a flashy pick for the Falcons, but his 6-foot-1, 245-pound frame and his familiarity with Kyle Shanahan's offense makes him a solid fit. According to McClure, the Falcons are not aiming to over spend on a tight end, but certainly need a quality upgrade. Paul has four years in the league and is not expected to command a top contract thanks to concussions issues. However, when healthy, Paul is a threat. As a former track star he ran a 4.51 40-yard dash while his size makes him a nightmare matchup for the secondary. He only started seven games in 2014, putting up 507 yards off 39 catches.
The Falcons are also expected to look at another former Shanahan player, Jordan Cameron. The Cleveland Browns tight end is not expected to return to his former team and will hit the market. Injury history is a concern for Cameron who battled shoulder issues all of 2014. He is reportedly expecting a nice contract in free agency which might turn Atlanta away. Owen Daniels is another option with the Baltimore Ravens, but again his injury history and age are a big concern for teams in free agency.
Most Falcons fans will cry out that the team spend big and get Julius Thomas. The Denver Broncos star would be the flashy pick and would certainly look good standing next to Julio Jones and Roddy White in the huddle. However, Thomas wants his money. The tight end has the production to command a lot in free agency and the Falcons appear unwilling to meet those demands.