Ahead of free agency, the Falcons have made a couple of cost-cutting transactions. It started last night with the extension handed to left tackle Jake Matthews. That deal put Atlanta back in the green, but the more notable move was the decision to move on from Grady Jarrett, which will save the Falcons over $16 million against the salary cap. Now, Atlanta has some room to make some substantial additions, and according to Michael Silver — a national columnist for The Athletic — the Falcons have their eye on star linebacker Dre Greenlaw. Silver also mentions the Texans and Broncos as other teams in the mix, along with the 49ers, who hope to retain him. Greenlaw only appeared in two games this season after suffering a devastating Achilles injury in last year’s Super Bowl. But in 2023, he racked up 120 combined tackles, five of which went for a loss, with four passes defended and 1.5 sacks. The Falcons have a lot of holes on the defensive side of the ball. They desperately need multiple edge rushers that can get after the quarterback. Their interior defensive line is also now a massive question mark following the news that Grady Jarrett has been released, and the secondary has more holes than proven commodities as currently constructed. However, the second level is also a concern, in large part because of Troy Andersen’s inability to stay on the field. Dre Greenlaw would be a tremendous upgrade, but the Falcons really shouldn’t be interested in pouring a ton of resources into another linebacker with so many other areas in more desperate need of attention.