Following the 2026 NFL Draft, the Atlanta Falcons are already shaking things up. Ian Cunningham and Matt Ryan are moving on from three scouts, one scouting assistant, and the Falcons are parting ways with Senior Director of Football Administration (and lead salary cap manager/contract negotiator) Chris Olsen.
However, the Falcons have already found his replacement in former Philadelphia Eagles' exec Bryce Johnston, who will take over as Senior VP of Football Administration and Senior Personnel executive, where like Olsen, he will lead salary cap strategy and serve as Atlanta's new lead contract negotiator.
And now that the Dirty Birds has a new lead contract negotiator in town, it's clear what his first move should be. The Falcons are hoping to get long-term deals done with three offensive cornerstones: Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts, and contract talks should start some time soon.
The Falcons are working towards getting their extensions done by hiring Bryce Johnston
Cunningham admitted a few weeks before the draft that extensions would take precedence soon after the draft, so it's no coincidence the new regime is making all of their front office changes immediate after the draft, especially with three major contracts needing to get done and speculation surfacing they may not want to keep them all.
Johnston worked under Howie Roseman in Philadelphia, where he quickly mastered the art of cap management and contract negotiation. So even though the NFL salary cap increases every offseason, the Falcons have a lot of wiggle room to get deals done with all three of their young stars.
Bijan is expected to shatter the RB market, London covets over $30 million per year, and Pitts is vying to remain one of the highest-paid tight ends in the sport. That's a lot of money to invest into the offense, but Atlanta has about $141 million in cap space to use in 2027, which will be used somehow.
Ideally, the Falcons are able to strike a long-term deal with Bijan and London by training camp, but since Pitts is planning to play out the season on the franchise tag, he's less of an immediate priority. And they shouldn't risk leaving him for nothing next offseason to fit into the 2028 comp pick formula.
The 25-year-old had a bounce-back season in 2025, but Atlanta would be foolish to pay him without seeing if he can string two strong years together. His inconsistency makes him such a risk to bring back, but with Johnston taking over negotiations, hopefully they can get him back at a fair price now that it seems unlikely he'll be dealt.
It feels like a foregone conclusion that these three will eventually get their desired paydays, but knowing that Cunningham is bringing in his own guys to lead Atlanta into their most important summer in years bodes well for the end result.
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