The Atlanta Falcons completely flipped their cornerback room on its head with the selection of Avieon Terrell.
What was originally supposed to be a position manned by A.J. Terrell, Mike Hughes, and Billy Bowman Jr. is suddenly uncertain. The second-round rookie is a first-round talent who can start from Day 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers -- which is why many think Hughes could be on the chopping block.
Bleacher Report 's Moe Moton believes he is the top candidate to be the Falcons' best player released.
Falcons could cut ties with key starting cornerback Mike Hughes
The former first-round pick has been an average starter with Atlanta. We knew entering the season that Atlanta eventually replacing him at CB2 was a possibility, and that they did.
The younger Terrell has the talent to start on the outside opposite his All-Pro brother, or replace Bowman as the starting nickel. This leaves Hughes as a highly-paid depth option, so his release could be on the horizon. Here is what Moton had to say about him:
"Mike Hughes' pass coverage is on the decline. In 2024, he allowed a passer rating of 105.8 (out of a possible 158.3)," Moton wrote. "Last season, he gave up five touchdowns. Although the Falcons signed him to a three-year deal last offseason, his roster spot could be in jeopardy because of subpar play."
His play last season was far from good enough. The 29-year-old has had no production taking the ball away, with just one interception and no forced fumbles or fumble recoveries in three seasons with the Dirty Birds. Meanwhile, Avieon was a turnover machine during his time at Clemson. Jeff Ulbrich will undoubtedly prefer to start the splashy, high-upside player.
However, the contract situation complicates this. He is entering the second year of a three-year, $18 million contract. Releasing him post-June 1 will only save $480,000 and come with dead cap hits of $4.9M and $1.6M in 2026 and 2027, respectively.
Obviously, saving what equates to pennies in the NFL is not worth it. Their only option would be trading him post-June 1, saving them $3.8M with cap hits of $1.6M this year and next.
Even saving just under $4M for a player that has started many games may not be worth it. We saw last year how injuries can affect a defensive backfield. The Falcons were forced to play undrafted rookie Cobee Bryant, who struggled, after Hughes went down.
Knowing that you have a serviceable veteran in case of injury is valuable. Ian Cunningham has made it a priority to get deeper at every position this offseason, making it difficult to believe he would part with Hughes.
So, don't expect this roster move to come to fruition. Instead, he will compete for the starting job and, at worst, be the primary backup. Then he will find himself back on the street next offseason with the Falcons saving $10.8M instead of moving on from him right before the 2026 season.
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