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Atlanta Falcons News & Rumors

Falcons Looking To Trade Up?

April 15th, 2020 at 9:39am CST by Zachary Links

The Falcons may be looking to move up the draft board. They’ve done lots of homework on players who figure to be gone before their No. 16 pick, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears, and other teams are projecting that they’ll deal for a higher choice. This echoes what we heard earlier this week from Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, who also reported that the Broncos and Bucs are serious about trading up. 

Of course, this wouldn’t be the first time that the Falcons went all-in for a top prospect. In 2011, GM Thomas Dimitroff moved up to No. 6 for Julio Jones by shipping Nos. 27, 59, 124 and their first- and fourth-round picks in 2012 to the Browns for Julio Jones.

This time around, it’s not exactly clear who the Falcons might be targeting, but they’re likely looking at defenders since they’re well set on offense. Ohio State cornerback Jeff Okudah, who could go as high as No. 3 to the Lions, would make sense after the release of Desmond Trufant. Other corners like Florida’s C.J. Henderson would also fit the bill. Or, if the Falcons want to plug multiple holes on defense, they could turn to versatile Clemson standout Isaiah Simmons.

The first two picks in the draft – belonging to the Bengals and Redskins – are probably unavailable. However, the Lions and Giants – picks Nos. 3 and 4, respectively – could be willing to move down. Depending on who the Falcons want, they could aim lower with a team like the Cardinals at No. 8.

Bucs, Broncos, Falcons Aiming To Trade Up In Draft?

April 13th, 2020 at 12:14pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Buccaneers, Broncos, and Falcons are among the NFL clubs with the most serious interest in trading up in the draft, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.

Both Tampa Bay and Denver would move up with the intention of selecting an offensive tackle, per Breer. The clubs currently sit back-to-back at picks Nos. 14 and 15, and both could certainly use help along their respective offensive lines. The 2020 draft features a strong class of offensive tackles, with options including Mekhi Becton (Louisville), Jedrick Wills (Alabama), Tristan Wirfs (Iowa), and Andrew Thomas (Georgia).

Having added Tom Brady, the Buccaneers will need to keep the veteran quarterback upright — in 2019, Tampa Bay ranked just 22nd in Football Outsiders‘ pass-protection metric. Donovan Smith will line up at left tackle, but the Bucs could add another lineman to compete with free agent signing Joe Haeg on the right side.

The Broncos, meanwhile, would appear to be set at left tackle with Garett Bolles, whom Pro Football Focus grade as the NFL’s No. 18 tackle, and at right tackle with Ja’Wuan James. Bolles, however, has only one year left on his rookie contract (plus a potential fifth-year option in 2021), while injuries limited James to only three games in his first season as a Bronco.

It’s unclear what position the Falcons would target where they able to engineer a trade up from pick No. 16, per Breer. Speculatively, Atlanta’s offense appears mostly set, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if general manager Thomas Dimitroff attempts to target edge or cornerback help in the first round.

2020 NFL Cap Room By Team

April 12th, 2020 at 6:38pm CST by Zachary Links

The biggest names in NFL free agency might be off the board, but there are still plenty of noteworthy players on the board and high-profile cuts on the way. And, while some teams did their spending early, others are still sitting on lots of cash.

The latest cap figures from OverTheCap show that several teams are poised to pounce in the latter waves of free agency, starting with the Browns. The numbers also show that teams like the Rams still have work to do in order to sign their upcoming draft class. Also, the Eagles’ 2020 figure doesn’t quite tell the whole story – thanks to high-priced multi-year deals including Darius Slay’s new contract, they’re already overcommitted on dollars for 2021.

Here’s the complete rundown for all 32 teams, in descending order of cap space:

  1. Browns – $40.2MM
  2. Lions – $29.5MM
  3. Eagles – $27.1MM
  4. Colts – $24MM
  5. Dolphins – $23.9MM
  6. Redskins – $23.8MM
  7. Chargers – $22.3MM
  8. Titans – $21.5MM
  9. Bills – $20.9MM
  10. Texans – $18.6MM
  11. Broncos – $17.5MM
  12. Giants – $17.1MM
  13. Jets – $15.5MM
  14. Jaguars – $14.6MM
  15. Cowboys – $13.6MM
  16. Buccaneers – $13.5MM
  17. 49ers – $13.4MM
  18. Seahawks – $12.6MM
  19. Vikings – $12.3MM
  20. Ravens – $11.3MM
  21. Packers – $11.08MM
  22. Bears – $11.03MM
  23. Panthers – $9.4MM
  24. Raiders – $8.8MM
  25. Bengals – $7.3MM
  26. Steelers – $7.2MM
  27. Cardinals – $7MM
  28. Saints – $5.3MM
  29. Chiefs – $2.9MM
  30. Falcons – $2.4MM
  31. Patriots – $1.2MM
  32. Rams – (-$5.3MM)

Falcons GM Says Todd Gurley’s Deal Includes Injury Protection

April 8th, 2020 at 1:54pm CST by Zachary Links

Like most deals this offseason, Todd Gurley‘s contract has yet to be 100% finalized. This week, the Falcons announced that they have “agreed to terms” with Gurley, though the star running back has yet to take his physical.

[RELATED: Cardinals Have “No Concern” Over Hopkins Trade]

Despite Gurley’s knee trouble, Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff isn’t too worried about the situation. Meanwhile, if any red flags pop up, he says the team is well covered.

“We looked closely at it. We have language our contracts that will protect us and the player.” the GM said (Twitter link via William McFadden of the team website). “We’re not looking at it that way…[we’re] very comfortable with it.”

Last year, Gurley was limited to just 223 carries – the lowest total in any of his five pro seasons. The Falcons are hoping to get a full season out of the longtime Rams star, who still managed 1,000+ all-purpose yards despite the setback. The Falcons, meanwhile, have gone two full seasons without a running back hitting the 1,000-yard mark, or even the 900-yard mark.

Gurley is set to take over for Devonta Freeman, who was released in March amidst injury concerns of his own. Ito Smith, Brian Hill, and Qadree Ollison sit behind him on the depth chart, though the RB group could be shuffled between now and the start of the season. Gurley will work to get back to his old form, which saw him lead the league in rushing touchdowns in both 2017 and 2018.

Falcons Announce Todd Gurley Deal

April 6th, 2020 at 2:13pm CST by Zachary Links

Weeks after the deal was reported, the Falcons announced that they have agreed to terms with Todd Gurley. However, Gurley has yet to take/pass his physical, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. 

Given Gurley’s medical history, that’s more than just a formality. Gurley hasn’t looked the same since his late-2018 knee injury – last year, the two-time All-Pro averaged just 3.8 yards per carry for the Rams and just 6.7 yards per reception. Before that, Gurley managed 40 all-purpose touchdowns between 2017 and 2018 while averaging 4.8 yards per tote.

Still, there’s a virtual handshake deal in place. Gurley is set to earn $11MM in total this year, with $7.5MM coming from the Rams, $6MM on the Falcons’ books, and an offset of $2.5MM. With that, Gurley will be one of the three highest-compensated running backs in the NFL.

In Atlanta, Gurley will replace the recently released Devonta Freeman. The University of Georgia product will be backstopped by Ito Smith and Brian Hill in his homecoming. 

No one’s exactly sure what to expect from Gurley after his shaky season, but he stayed largely healthy in 2019 and he’ll have another year of recovery under his belt. If Gurley returns to his old form, or even 80% of it, the Falcons could have one of the most dangerous offenses in the league.

Extension Candidate: Keanu Neal

March 29th, 2020 at 10:16am CST by Rory Parks

Falcons safety Keanu Neal has had a horrible run of injury luck. In 2018, he suffered a torn ACL in the regular season opener, and in 2019, he sustained a torn Achilles during the third game of the season. Both of those injuries were season-enders, so he has played just four games over the past two seasons.

Prior to that, however, he was establishing himself as one of the better young safeties in the game. He was selected by Atlanta with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2016 draft, and he racked up 106 tackles in 14 starts in his rookie campaign, which culminated in a heartbreaking Super Bowl loss to New England.

He built on that performance in 2017, starting all 16 games and piling up 116 tackles en route to a Pro Bowl nod. He moves with fluidity and has a nose for the football, as evidenced by his high tackle totals and the eight fumbles that he forced over his first two seasons in the league. That ability also helps him in coverage on the back end, though he has just one career interception to date.

The Falcons exercised the fifth-year option of his rookie contract last April, which suggested that they weren’t too concerned about the 2018 ACL tear. Of course, they didn’t bank on the 2019 Achilles tear, and Neal is presently slated to count for about $6.5MM against the 2020 cap thanks to the fifth-year option (the option was guaranteed for injury only at the time it was exercised but became fully-guaranteed when the 2020 league year opened earlier this month).

Though $6.5MM would ordinarily look like a relative bargain for someone with Neal’s abilities, the fact that he has been unable to stay on the field complicates matters a bit. That is especially true since the Falcons have limited salary cap space at the moment.

So on the one hand, it would make sense for Atlanta to let Neal simply play out his contract and revisit the situation prior to the opening of free agency next offseason (after all, although the team’s pass defense was one of the worst in the league from 2018-19, per DVOA, that unit didn’t grade out much higher even when Neal was in the lineup in 2016-17). But the top of the safety market now includes contracts with average annual values of over $14MM, and if Neal has a healthy, bounceback campaign, other clubs may pony up that type of cash to steal him away from the Falcons.

As such, the Falcons could explore an extension with Neal. Such a move would be risky given the health concerns — Neal also dealt with a knee injury not long before his rookie season — but it also has a couple of obvious benefits. One, it would help the Falcons’ immediate cap situation, and two, it could keep a talented young player under contract for several more seasons at a potentially discount rate.

From Neal’s perspective, an extension may represent an undersell if he does play up to his 2017 levels in 2020, but it would also provide him extra security in the event that he cannot recapture his prior form. As of yet, there have been no reports of negotiations between the two sides, but it would not be a surprise to hear of exploratory talks in the coming months.

Falcons Sign LB Edmond Robinson

March 28th, 2020 at 10:24am CST by Ben Levine

Another XFL player is heading to the NFL. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports that the Falcons are signing linebacker Edmond Robinson. ESPN’s Vaughn McClure tweets that it’s a one-year deal.

Robinson was a seventh-round pick out of Newberry back in 2015, and he’s spent parts of three NFL seasons with the Vikings, Jets, and Cardinals. The 28-year-old has compiled 13 tackles and one pass defended in 22 career games, including a 12-game stint with Minnesota back in 2016.

The linebacker had a cameo with the Arizona Hotshots of the Alliance of American Football, and he joined the Houston Roughnecks of the XFL back in October. During that stint, Robinson compiled 22 tackles and a pair of sacks.

The undefeated Roughnecks have seen a number of players opt for the NFL, headlined by quarterback P.J. Walker signing with the Panthers. Cornerback Deatrick Nichols (Saints) and linebacker DeMarquis Gates (Vikings) have also signed with NFL teams.

Contract Details: Davis, Roberts, Haeg

March 26th, 2020 at 8:06pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Let’s take a closer look at the details of a few recently-signed free agent contracts:

AFC

NFC

  • Sean Davis, S (Redskins): One year, $4MM. $2MM guaranteed (Twitter link via John Keim of ESPN.com).
  • Seth Roberts, WR (Panthers): One year, $3.75MM (Twitter link via Mike Garafolo of ESPN.com).
  • Zach Kerr, DT (Panthers): Two years, $3MM. Unknown incentives available (Twitter link via Garafolo).
  • B.J. Goodson, LB (Browns): One year, $2.4MM. $2.25MM guaraneed. $1.25MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com).
  • Joe Haeg, T (Buccaneers): One year, $2.3MM. $1.5MM guaranteed. Up to $1MM available via playtime incentives (Twitter link via Wilson).
  • Cedric Ogbuehi, T (Seahawks): One year, $2.3MM. $500K guaranteed. $500K signing bonus (Twitter link via Brady Henderson of ESPN.com).
  • Will Parks, S (Eagles): One year, $1.5MM. $1.375MM guaranteed. $375K signing bonus. Up to $125K in per-game roster bonuses (Twitter link via Wilson).
  • Tajae Sharpe, WR (Vikings): One year, $1MM. $675K guaranteed. $175K signing bonus. Max value of $1.5MM (Twitter link via Pelissero).
  • Sharrod Neasman, S (Falcons): One year, $950K. $40K signing bonus. Veteran salary benefit (Twitter link via Wilson).
  • Joe Walker, LB (49ers): One year, $900K. Max of $75K in per-game roster bonuses (Twitter link via Wilson).

NFC South Notes: Hill, Brate, Walker

March 25th, 2020 at 6:48pm CST by Rory Parks

The Saints expect Taysom Hill to take over for Drew Brees when Brees calls it a career, and to that end, they placed a first-round RFA tender on the BYU product earlier this month. Teddy Bridgewater had served as the backup to Brees over the past couple of seasons while Hill’s role as a gadget player grew, but head coach Sean Payton confirmed that Hill will be the QB2 in 2020. “He’s earned that opportunity,” Payton said (Twitter link via Jeff Duncan of The Athletic).

However, the team still expects to use Hill as a rusher and receiver next season, so Payton said New Orleans will add another QB that will be active on game days (Twitter link via Duncan). The Saints are expected to explore a long-term contract for Hill in the near future.

Now for more from the NFC South:

  • Cameron Brate‘s recent restructure with the Buccaneers is better classified as a pay cut. Per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, Brate accepted a decrease in his 2020 salary from $6MM to $4.25MM (Twitter link). The move will keep Brate, a quality red zone target, in the fold for Tom Brady while buying the team a little more cap space.
  • Several days ago, the Panthers beat out several clubs for the services of XFL signal-caller P.J. Walker. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle says Walker’s pact with Carolina is a two-year deal worth $1.565MM, a pretty nice haul for an XFLer who has yet to crack an active roster in the NFL (Twitter link).
  • CB Blidi Wreh-Wilson‘s new one-year deal with the Falcons includes a base salary of $1.05MM and a singing bonus of $137.5K, as Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com tweets.

Contract Details: Falcons, Ryan, Eagles, Slay

March 25th, 2020 at 10:55am CST by Zachary Links

Earlier this week, the Falcons restructured deals with Matt Ryan and others to carve out a bit of extra breathing room. Today, we got some additional details on that adjustment, via Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

Here’s the breakdown: Ryan’s base pay for 2020 will go down from $8MM to $1.05MM. Meanwhile, tackle Jake Matthews will see his base number trimmed from $10.55MM to $3.55MM. In both cases, the difference was converted to a signing bonus. In effect, it doesn’t change much for either player, but it does allow the Falcons to kick the can down the road and spend more this year.

Here are more deetz from around the NFL, with all links going to Twitter:

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