Getting inside the mind of an NFL General Manager is never easy, but with time, trends and habits develop. By year three or four, tendencies become more obvious, and with the amount of information available, fans generally understand how their team will attack the draft.<\/p>\n
A new shot caller makes deciphering moves difficult, but that may not be the case for new Atlanta Falcons GM Ian Cunningham<\/a>, who has been a straight shooter since he joined the front office.<\/p>\n His handling of Kaden Elliss\u2019s departure is a prime example of the GM\u2019s transparency. When asked about Elliss\u2019s future at the NFL Combine, Cunningham got straight to the point and cited Atlanta\u2019s tight cap situation and the deep linebacker market, saying the team needs to explore its options. The end result? Cunningham signed two linebackers (Christian Harris and Channing Tindall) to affordable deals and let New Orleans<\/a> pay Elliss $11M per year.<\/p>\n In that same presser, Cunningham also referred to the wide receiver position as a premium position. He said the team would take a look at this draft class, but he didn\u2019t waste time upgrading the room as soon as free agency began with the signings of Jahan Dotson and Olamide Zaccheaus.<\/p>\n Now obviously, the Falcons were going to have to sign players at these respective positions, so what makes these moves notable? It\u2019s the way Cunningham communicated these needs. Over the last five seasons, Terry Fontenot\u2019s front office often tried to play coy when situations were painfully obvious, and the corresponding moves made during that era led many to complain that the team was simply outsmarting itself.<\/p>\n Cunningham speaks to the issues bluntly and takes action that aligns with those comments. He told his scouting department that the team would never have this few draft picks again, and he\u2019s already ensured that by securing additional picks via the compensatory pick formula<\/a>. The Falcons haven\u2019t had a comp pick since 2019.<\/p>\n Based on what we know about Cunningham, the expectation is that his draft philosophy will be quite the departure from that of Terry Fontenot and Thomas Dimitroff. The days of throwing away Day 2 and Day 3 picks are over, and an attempt to build this team\u2019s foundation through the draft will be the new norm.<\/p>\n The abundance of one-year deals that Cunningham handed out directly correlates with the lack of picks in this year\u2019s draft. It also signals that Cunningham wants space for his own players when he finally has the draft capital for a bigger overhaul in 2027.<\/p>\n