While working on a deal for quarterback Matt Ryan that’s likely more complicated now than what the Falcons had envisioned, the team is sitting with barely enough money to handle its rookie draft class.
The Falcons are $5,633,482 million under the league’s $177.2 million salary cap. The team’s rookie class is projected to cost $5.67 million.
Ryan’s deal is more complicated by the signings of Jimmy Garoppolo ($27.5 million per year) and Kirk Cousins ($28 million per year). If Garoppolo, who’s never started a season and only played in seven games, is worth $27.5 million per year, then what is Ryan, a former league MVP winner who’s been to the playoff six times and has one Super Bowl appearance, worth? What is Ryan worth in light of the Cousins’ signing? Cousins has never been to the playoffs.
So while the Falcons hammer out Ryan’s market value, they’ll sit up against the cap. They’ll get some relief from Levine Toilolo’s contract, as he was released with a post June 1 designation.
The Falcons could have gotten Ryan’s deal done and created some space to go free agency shopping, but did not value any players worthy of major deals. They have repeatedly said the room created by Ryan’s deal will be used for players already on the roster such as defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, left tackle Jake Matthews and possible free safety Ricardo Allen.
The Falcons have signed kicker Matt Bryant (three years, $10.5 million), cornerback Leon McFadden (one-year, $880,000), cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson (one-year, $880,000), offensive tackle Austin Pasztor (one-year, $880,000) and guard Brandon Fusco (three-year, $12.75 million).
The Falcons have lost wide receiver Taylor Gabriel to the Bears, defensive tackle Dontari Poe to the Panthers and defensive end Adrian Clayborn to the Patriots.
