Contract Terms
The Atlanta Falcons have agreed to sign free agent wide receiver Darnell Mooney to a three-year, $39 million deal, including $26 million fully guaranteed, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports.
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Fantasy Football Impact
Mooney, 26, was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fifth round in 2020. After a breakout season in 2021 in which he totaled 81 catches for 1,055 yards and four touchdowns, with many of his targets coming from then-rookie quarterback Justin Fields, injuries and a regression stunted Mooney's last two seasons in Chicago.
Mooney struggled to fill the Bears' No. 2 receiver role behind DJ Moore. The 5-11 receiver had a career-low 31 catches for 414 yards and a touchdown in 2023, one season after his 2022 campaign was cut short by an ankle injury. In 2022, Mooney led the Bears with 493 receiving yards despite being limited to 12 games.
He has 213 catches for 2,593 yards and 11 touchdowns in 60 career games.
As ESPN.com's Seth Walder suggested, it's hard to know what went so wrong for Mooney last season, but one possibility is the Bears changed coaching staffs after his biggest season (2021), and Mooney's route tree changed quite a bit. Per Walder, from 2021 to 2022, Mooney's hitch routes, go routes, slants, and comebacks all declined in frequency and were replaced with corners, flats, and seams.
Was that a contributing factor? Potentially.
Another issue? Sharp Football's Warren Sharp points out that nearly 40 percent of deep targets to Mooney have been inaccurate in his career. Over that span, the most accurate quarterback on deep targets (20-plus yards downfield) is Mooney's new triggerman, Kirk Cousins, who agreed to terms with the Falcons Monday.
Whatever the case, Walder believes the Falcons are betting they can figure it out and prompt a rebound, perhaps leaning on Mooney as a WR3 while drafting an immediate-impact rookie at the position in April to be the true complement to Drake London.
Mooney currently sits at WR65 on the Footballguys 2024 Draft Rankings, which puts him firmly in that NFL WR3 range.
If Mooney is the second option in this offense, he could provide excellent value, especially with a current Average Draft Position (ADP) of WR90 in early drafts on Underdog and BestBall 10s.
The Fantasy Football Fallout
In Atlanta, Mooney gives the Falcons another offensive playmaker for new quarterback Kirk Cousins, who also has tight end Kyle Pitts, London, and running back Bijan Robinson as skill position players with which to work. All could benefit from the presence of Mooney, who can keep opposing secondaries honest with his deep speed.
It is a gain for all involved.
In Chicago, whether they invest their first pick overall in April's draft on QB Caleb Williams or stick with Justin Fields, adding help at wideout is a must. As things stand now, the uncertainty at quarterback and a lack of complementary help have to be at least of some concern to Moore investors.
Stock Watch
Risers
Fallers
- DJ Moore (for now)
Overview
As NFL.com framed it, "The Atlanta Falcons are remaking their offense, one pricey move at a time." After adding Kirk Cousins on Monday, the Falcons gave him another weapon to work with in ex-Bears wideout Darnell Mooney. Atlanta has top targets such as Drake London and Kyle Pitts entrenched in their roles, along with a strong run game led by Bijan Robinson. But the Falcons needed receiving depth and another outside target, Mooney, who should move a little higher on the fantasy radar with this move.