Falcons Will Let TE Austin Hooper, LB De’Vondre Campbell Hit Free Agency

Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff told reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine the team will allow TE Austin Hooper and LB De’Vondre Campbell to test free agency, per Kelsey Conway.

Dimitroff adds via Conway that Atlanta would be open to either Hooper, Campbell or C Wes Schweitzer re-signing, but it would have to be at the right price.

Hooper is expected to be one of the top tight ends available and should move the tight end market north of the $10 million per year high watermark it sits at currently. 

While there had been some hope the Falcons could bring back Hooper, potentially on the franchise tag, this makes it unlikely he will be returning to Atlanta.

Campbell is another player who’s expected to find a stronger market elsewhere after having preliminary extension talks with the Falcons. 

Hooper, 25, was drafted in the third round by the Falcons out of Stanford in 2016. He just finished the final year of a four-year, $3.165 million rookie contract and made a base salary of $720,000 for the 2019 season. 

In 2019, Hooper appeared in 13 games and caught 75 passes for 787 yards receiving and six touchdowns.

Campbell, 26, was drafted by the Falcons in the fourth round out of Minnesota in 2016. He just finished the final year of his four-year, $2.9 million rookie deal and made a base salary of $720,000 for the 2019 season. 

In 2019, Campbell appeared in all 16 games for the Falcons and recorded 129 tackles, two sacks, three forced fumbles, one recovery, two interceptions and five pass defenses. He was rated by Pro Football Focus as the No. 69 linebacker out of 87 qualifying players.