Falcons OT Kaleb McGary 'Ended Up in Right Place,' Reflects on Free Agency

For much of the spring, a reunion between the Atlanta Falcons and right tackle Kaleb McGary appeared uncertain.

The situation reached new levels when the franchise tag deadline came and went without the Falcons using it on McGary, thus sending the 2019 first-round pick into free agency.

But really, doubt about McGary's future in Atlanta started long before then - almost 10 months, to be exact - when the Falcons declined McGary's fifth-year option while picking it up for fellow 2019 first-round offensive lineman Chris Lindstrom.

Factor in that the offensive tackle market was strong - the Denver Broncos gave Mike McGlinchey a five-year, $87.5 million contract early in free agency - and McGary appeared to be all but gone.

So, when McGary and the Falcons agreed to terms on a three-year, $34.5 million deal, it was something of a surprise, and questions arose surrounding his market, especially considering that he largely outperformed McGlinchey last season.

Atlanta continued its negotiations with McGary after the franchise tag deadline but didn't land on anything - so, what happened in between and thereafter, ultimately leading to the reunion?

The 28-year-old McGary said he and his agent had "a number of good conversations" with teams, but ultimately feels he "ended up in the right place" with the Falcons.

McGary reflected on his free agency process last week as the Falcons wrapped up their second phase of OTAs in the ramp-up period before training camp in late July ...

"I don't know how many (teams) there were in the very end," McGary said, "just because it came down to me and my agent both felt this was the best place for the money I was going to get, and you know what, I think he was right. So, it wasn't necessarily about how many (teams), so to speak."

Across 17 starts last season, McGary earned an 86.6 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, including a 91.6 in run blocking, the second-best mark by an offensive tackle in the NFL.

Further, while McGary's six sacks allowed leaves something to be desired, his 66.9 pass blocking grade was a career best, inspiring hope that another leap forward can be made after substantial growth from 2021 to 2022.

In essence, there was plenty of reason for the Falcons to want McGary back - and the street runs both ways, especially with his camaraderie next to Lindstrom, who earned a five-year, $105 million contract extension the day before Atlanta signed McGary.

There's also the element that McGary values familiarity, and he clearly found comfort in his second season working with head coach Arthur Smith and offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford, which made the decision that much easier.

"This is where I have most of my experience," McGary said. "I have a lot of time working with Chris, obviously, a lot of experience (or) as much as anybody else with this offense since we changed. This is where the vast majority of my experience is, play time and whatnot.

"So, this is where it would have been easiest to stay - and on top of that, I didn't have to move."

The question this spring was never whether the two sides fit one another; last year quieted many on-field concerns. Instead, the dilemma centered around how a reunion could take place ... and in the end, things simply worked out to where Smith's run-heavy Falcons retained one of the league's best run blocking tackles, all at a discounted price and with a satisfied customer on the other end.

And for that, it appears McGary did end up in the right place after all.