5 Atlanta Falcons that will likely follow Jonnu Smith out the door

1. Lorenzo Carter

The Atlanta Falcons were hoping for more from Lorenzo Carter in the 2023 season. The pass rusher has a great motor and is an above-average run defender willingly chasing plays and giving it his best effort. However, what Carter was signed to do was get to the quarterback, and that rarely happened for the starter.

Both backup Arnold Ebiketie and veteran Bud Dupree were far more consistent in finding ways to impact the passer. This speaks both to the lack of success from Carter and the need for the Falcons to improve at the position.

Lorenzo Carter would be a great rotational player or a secondary option but he simply isn't a starter for a team attempting to make a playoff run. Lorenzo had 3.0 sacks on the season despite being a huge part of Atlanta's defensive rotation. Carter's abilities as a player don't include registering a consistent pass rush and that is a trait that this team is missing.

Cutting Carter frees up over $3-million in cap space and gives the team a bit more flexibility to add a star at the position. It should be an easy cut for a player that hasn't lived up to expectations.