Atlanta Falcons sign Chris Williams

Chris Williams' signing earns a D+ Contract Value Index (CVI), a red flag for a depth piece on a one-year, $2M deal that stretches Atlanta's already-thin defensive line rotation without meaningful upside. At that salary, the Falcons are paying well above replacement cost for a defensive tackle who doesn't move the needle on a squad sitting at 8-9 and outside the playoff picture — the deal signals desperation patching rather than strategic roster construction. The one-year structure limits long-term cap damage, but $2M in the current offseason landscape buys you depth, not production; for a team with playoff aspirations, this feels like a band-aid on a deeper positional weakness. Williams lands in a low-leverage slot where the Falcons' upside is capped — even a solid contribution barely moves the needle on a D-graded defense needing systemic overhaul, not another rotational name. The CVI has held steady in the low range, reflecting exactly this dynamic: a transaction that doesn't crater the books but also doesn't create value, just occupies roster space and salary that could've been allocated more shrewdly. In a preseason window with time to build, Atlanta needed either elite talent or elite efficiency; this hit neither mark.