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Out with the old – Falcons cut Matt Bryant

By Jeff Benedict

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All good things must come to and end and all great players eventually leave us.

Goodbye Matt Bryant. We will miss you in an Atlanta Falcons uniform.

I have never been emotionally invested in a kicker – not as a player, not as a coach and certainly not as a fan. However, this time last year, I argued that the Falcons give Matt Bryant a blank check and bring him back.

Too many times we see games decided on missed kicks – we did not have that issue here in Atlanta because of Matt Bryant.

(Ultimately, this move was to make room for Grady Jarrett. I am okay with that. More on this momentarily)

Let’s look at what Matt Bryant has accomplished in a Falcons uniform:

  • Made nearly 89% of his attempts
  • Most field goal attempts in franchise history – 282
  • Most field goals made in franchise history – 250
  • 7/10 longest field goals made in franchise history
  • Most games played by a kicker – 126 games
  • Attempted 375 extra points – missing just THREE…. yes, three since 2009

Matt Bryant will be in the Hall of Fame one day, no doubt about that. Will we miss him in a Falcons uniform, emotionally, yes. On the field, no. Giorgio Tavecchio is a stud and one that will pick up right where Matt Bryant left off.

The Falcons knew what they had found in Tavecchio, which is why they carried him after Bryant came back from injury in 2018. I do not expect the kicking game any less successful moving forward.

Back to Grady Jarrett, for a minute.

Uncle Arthur said last week that the Falcons would be busy this off-season. It is my belief that the United winning a title in just their second year, ignited a fire in Mr. Blank and he is letting everyone know in this organizations that this is Super Bowl or bust season. That jobs will be lost if this franchise is not in Miami in February 2020.

Cutting both Robert Alford and Matt Bryant are ways they can pay Grady Jarrett what his market rate will dictate to lock up one of the best young players on this roster for years to come.

This is just the beginning of a very exciting 2019 off-season that will have Falcons fans smiling ear to ear in February 2020.

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