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3 Easy cuts to save the Atlanta Falcons over $8 million in cap space

By Nick Halden

ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 02: Head coach Arthur Smith of the Atlanta Falcons during the game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on January 02, 2022 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Kevin Hoffman/Getty Images)
ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 02: Head coach Arthur Smith of the Atlanta Falcons during the game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on January 02, 2022 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Kevin Hoffman/Getty Images) /
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ATLANTA, GEORGIA – NOVEMBER 08: Julio Jones #11 of the Atlanta Falcons reacts after scoring a touchdown during the third quarter against the Denver Broncos at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on November 08, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – NOVEMBER 08: Julio Jones #11 of the Atlanta Falcons reacts after scoring a touchdown during the third quarter against the Denver Broncos at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on November 08, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

The biggest hurdle for the Atlanta Falcons this off-season is going to be finding ways to be creative with very limited cap space. Bad contracts and trades have left Atlanta in a bad cap position headed into the off-season.

Julio Jones will still count for $15.5-million against next season’s cap making him the team’s 5th highest-paid player. This isn’t exactly ideal when you consider that Jones is now playing for the Titans and won’t have any impact in Atlanta.

The four contracts above him are Matt Ryan, Deion Jones, Jake Matthews, and Grady Jarrett. Considering their abilities and how much dead cap it would create it is hard to see Atlanta moving on from any of these four.

The Atlanta Falcons are going to have to be willing to make tough trades and cuts if they want a chance to improve this off-season

One wildcard in this scenario is the 6th highest-paid player for Atlanta next season in Calvin Ridley. Still on his rookie deal trading him does little to help the cap situation but there are a lot of questions swirling about the receiver’s future.

After Ridley, the players that could be cut become clearer for a team that is going to have to make tough decisions this off-season.

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