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

3. Taylor Heinicke

Cutting Taylor Heinicke will save the Falcons over $6-million in cap space, making it arguably the most obvious cut of the offseason. Arthur Smith deserves a lot of heat for how the quarterback position was managed and the lack of open targets that Ridder and Heinicke had in the 2023 season.

With that said, coaching isn't responsible for the missed throws and ugly interceptions that Ridder and Heinicke both often threw. If it weren't a question of money the Falcons would be better off keeping Taylor on the roster and moving on from Desmond Ridder.

However, we are talking about a $6-million dollar difference in cap space for a position we hope is never able to take the field after the preseason. Cutting Taylor is a decision that is likely already made and with the rest of these cuts gives the Falcons well over $50-million in projected cap space this offseason.

This should allow Atlanta to chase anyone they want on either side of the ball. With plenty of young talent, they can't afford to hold onto veteran pieces like Heinicke that failed. Heinicke is one of the good stories in the game but failed to live up to expectations and must find another landing spot in 2024.