3. Atlanta Falcons
Three years ago the Atlanta Falcons were in a spot where they were ready to move on from Matt Ryan and facing an impossible cap hit. Let's be clear here, the decision to push Ryan out set this franchise back and in no way was the right decision at the time or now. Ryan finishing out his contract would have bought the team time to find a long term answer and spared the Falcons at least one year of the quarterback mess that ensued.
With that said, the Falcons took on a historic dead cap hit and still were a quarterback away from being a playoff team. Each of the next two years Arthur Smith had the team in position to compete for playoff spot late into the season.
The dead cap hit didn't kill them despite the limitations it put on Atlanta's offseason. The Falcons front was still able to find bargains to add in and give the team a chance. One of the worst moves in franchise history serves as a blueprint for why the Falcons can survive cutting Kirk Cousins. Yes, it is going to be painful but this time it is the only decision for a franchise searching for answers.