3 Atlanta Falcons stars that will soon be looking for an extension

1. A.J. Terrell

This is one of the toughest Atlanta Falcons players to evaluate based on his ceiling, injury history, and consistency. A year ago the Falcons would have been unwise not to pay Terrell top-corner money if he was going to hit free agency.

One year later and the decision looks far more questionable. Already paying key veterans and with a number of players facing expiring contracts over the next two years, how important is A.J. Terrell?

The corner's time in Atlanta has been one of the few bright spots on a struggling defense. However, Terry Fontenot has been very careful not to make the mistakes of the previous regime. The same front office that handed out bad extensions to Deion Jones or Keanu Neal. These deals were based on the player's early seasons and we saw how each played out.

You have to weigh keeping important pieces vs. what their real value is against the cap. At this point, it is going to be difficult to pay Terrell what he can likely make on the open market. How important is it to the former Clemson Tiger to stay in the south? Would he consider taking a team discount or is it time to move on?