Falcons Cut TE Levine Toilolo
SUNDAY, 10:34am: The Falcons will designate Toilolo as a post-June 1 cut, meaning that they’ll see a cap savings of $3.5MM for this year rather than $2.5MM (Twitter link via Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com). Cap space is at a premium for Atlanta, which currently ranks in the bottom third of the league in that regard.
FRIDAY, 1:46pm: The Falcons are releasing tight end Levine Toilolo, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). This comes just one year after Toilolo re-signed on a three-year, $12MM deal one year ago.
Toilolo, 27 in July, has been mostly a complementary piece for Atlanta over the past few seasons. In his contract year, he had 13 catches and two touchdowns, but he stretched the field with 264 yards, good for 20.3 yards per grab. This past season, he had 12 catches for 122 yards and one score.
The Falcons are faced with a bit of a numbers crunch this offseason, which necessitated the release of Toilolo. With Austin Hooper already on board, Toilolo was a luxury they could not afford.
For the second straight year, Toilolo ranked as Pro Football Focus’ No. 27 ranked tight end. He’ll now join a free agent tight end crop that includes Trey Burton, Jimmy Graham, and Austin Seferian-Jenkins.
Hawks Notes: Thomas, Bennett, Richardson
After missing the playoffs for the first time since 2011, the Seahawks have some decisions to make regarding key members of their veteran core. Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports anticipates two members of the Earl Thomas/Richard Sherman/Michael Bennett trio being traded. John Schneider said the team will be “open to listening to anything” this offseason. Here’s the latest on trades and other matters from Seattle:
- The Seahawks are shopping Bennett at the Combine, and La Canfora estimates the team will take a draft choice for Bennett and look to add a free agent to replace him up front. Interestingly, JLC places the other high-profile former Jets defensive end, Muhammad Wilkerson, as a Seahawks candidate. Bennett has three years and more than $26MM remaining on his contract, and considering a market light on edge talent, he should be able to fetch the Seahawks a Day 3 pick despite his age (32) and salary.
- However, Seattle will demand value for Thomas. La Canfora expects the soon-to-be 29-year-old safety to be worth multiple Day 2 picks and anticipates the Seahawks moving him. Thomas has made multiple comments about a holdout this winter. He and Eric Berry are the only active safeties to have three first-team All-Pro honors on their resumes, and Thomas figures to have several years of productivity left. He was the last member of the Legion of Boom standing, returning from a broken leg to play in 14 games, after Sherman and Kam Chancellor went down with severe injuries. One season and $10.4MM remains on Thomas’ second Seahawks contract. It’s logical Thomas, whose 2014 Seahawks extension represented the salary standard at safety for many months, will expect a third deal on the Berry tier. The Chiefs All-Pro earns a safety-high $13MM per year.
- Sherman’s injury makes him the most logical choice to stay in Seattle and mentor the next wave of DBs, La Canfora writes. One year and $13.2MM remains on the 29-year-old cornerback’s contract.
- A recent report indicated the Seahawks weren’t likely to use their franchise tag on Sheldon Richardson by Tuesday’s deadline, and Schneider confirmed as such. “Not at this point. We have time, but we have more people that we have to talk to this weekend,” Schneider said, via Brady Henderson of ESPN.com. “We’re not done with all our meetings.” Tagging the 27-year-old interior defender would cost Seattle $14.2MM, and that wouldn’t seem to fit in an offseason in which the team is trying to shed veteran expenses.
- Several factors point to the Falcons inquiring on Bennett, with Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com noting that in addition to the defender’s relationship with Dan Quinn he shares an agent with Atlanta GM Thomas Dimitroff. Falcons DC Marquand Manuel was also a Seahawks assistant during part of Bennett’s Seattle tenure. Although McClure said the Falcons’ ideal scenario would be to add Bennett as a free agent, he expects Dimitroff to inquire about what it will cost to make a deal with the Seahawks. He would be a threat to line up inside on passing downs to help bolster the Falcons’ interior pass rush. “I think he’s a mismatch on the guards. I think he has a couple good years left,” an NFC coach told McClure. “I think he still has some juice. And he has that relationship with [Quinn].”
Falcons Cut DE Derrick Shelby
The Falcons have released defensive end Derrick Shelby, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Shelby’s representatives requested the release so that he could get a jump start this weekend and “do a deal this weekend,” Rapoport adds. 
Shelby, 29 in early March, left the Dolphins to sign with the Falcons in free agency last offseason. The veteran put himself on the map in 2016 when he took over for Cameron Wake following his injury and performed well in eight starts.
Shelby was a starter right out of the gate in Dan Quinn’s defense, but he did not bowl anyone over with his play. Shelby totaled 30 tackles on the year with one sack and graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 51 ranked edge defender.
Shelby, who also saw time on the interior in 2017, was under a four-year, $18MM contract with Atlanta with $7.5MM in guarantees. The Falcons will save $3.25MM against the cap by releasing him, but they’ll also be on the hook for $2.5MM in dead money.
The Falcons also released tight end Levine Toilolo on Friday and more cuts could be coming down the pike. The Falcons entered Friday with less than $11.5MM in cap space, putting them near the bottom of the NFL.
Taylor Gabriel To Leave Falcons?
It sounds like pending free agent Taylor Gabriel won’t be back with the Falcons. On Thursday, Gabriel took to Twitter to bid farewell to Atlanta fans and the organization. 
“I’m very grateful to the owner, [GM, and] also the coaches for giving me that opportunity, but [I’m excited] for the new team and city that welcomes me with open arms,” Gabriel wrote.
Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff recently indicated that Gabriel would be allowed to test free agency, but it sounds as though the team has also told Gabriel’s camp that they will not be in on the bidding process. After another solid year, the 27-year-old may be in line for a pay bump.
The Falcons retained Gabriel with a second round tender last year, giving him a $2.81MM salary for 2017. Gabriel responded by catching 33 passes for 378 yards and one touchdown, numbers that were admittedly down from his 2016 stat line (35 passes, 379 yards, and six scores).
This offseason will mark Gabriel’s first turn through free agency. Free agents are permitted to speak with teams beginning on March 12 and can put pen to paper on March 14.
Falcons Notes: Ryan, Matthews, Jarrett, Gabriel
The Falcons have opened extension talks with quarterback Matt Ryan, general manager Thomas Dimitroff told reporters, including Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (Twitter link), at the combine today. Ryan, 32, has only one year left on his current contract at a cost of $19.25MM in base salary. On an annual basis, Ryan ranks just 14th among quarterbacks, but any new deal will likely catapult him into $28MM+ range. Atlanta has previously expressed a willingness to make Ryan the highest-paid signal-caller in the NFL, so Ryan and his camp may prefer to wait until free agent passer Kirk Cousins inks a new contract (expected to be worth ~$30MM annually) before working out his own pact.
- Left tackle Jake Matthews is set to play on his fifth-year option in 2018, and Dimitroff indicated the Falcons are interested in signing both Matthews and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett to multi-year deals, per D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link). Matthews has settled in as an above-average tackle since being selected sixth overall in the 2014 draft. He’s scheduled to earn $12.496MM next season. Jarrett, likewise, has developed into one of the league’s best interior defenders, and graded 14th among 122 defensive tackles a year ago, according to Pro Football Focus.
- Falcons wide receiver Taylor Gabriel and linebacker Kemal Ishmael will both be allowed to hit free agency, Dimitroff said today (Twitter links via McClure). That doesn’t necessarily mean Atlanta doesn’t have interest in retaining either player, but the club will allow Gabriel and Ishmael to gauge their value on the open market. Last season, Gabriel regressed from his excellent 2016 campaign, while Ishmael spent the majority of his time on special teams.
Falcons To Exercise Vic Beasley’s Option
The Falcons will exercise their fifth-year option on Vic Beasley, GM Thomas Dimitroff told reporters (Twitter link via D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution). The Falcons had until May to make the call, but they did not need the extra time to mull it over. 
The fifth-year option will keep Beasley under contract through the 2019 season. He’s already signed through the upcoming season at a $4.6MM cap number, the fourth year of his rookie contract. The figures for the fifth-year option are not yet known, but it will likely be in excess of $13MM.
The Falcons experimented with using Beasley as an outside linebacker in the past, but he’ll return to playing defensive end full time in 2018, according to head coach Dan Quinn. Despite his up-and-down campaign, his previous work and potential made the fifth-year option decision an easy call.
In 2016, Beasley led the league with 15.5 sacks, earning a Pro Bowl nod and a First Team All-Pro selection. Last year, he had just five sacks and his reassignment to linebacker resulted in a career-worst 55.6 overall score from Pro Football Focus.
The fifth-year option is guaranteed for injury only, so the Falcons will have an opportunity to change course if necessary.
Falcons G Andy Levitre To Return In 2018
Guard Andy Levitre will be back and ready to go next season, according to Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure). Levitre missed time at the end of the 2017 regular season and was unable to suit up for their playoff games against the Rams and Eagles. 
[RELATED: Falcons To Move On From Dontari Poe]
Levitre, 32 in May, is under contract with the team for one more season. He is slated to carry an $8.375MM cap hit and it’s conceivable that the Falcons will seek a cap smoothing extension with him in the coming weeks. As of this writing, the Falcons have roughly $11.5MM in cap room to work with and they’re hoping to extend quarterback Matt Ryan while addressing other needs.
Levitre had never missed a regular season game in his NFL career until he suffered a partially torn triceps in Week 13. He attempted to play through the pain in a late season contest against the Panthers, but he was forced out after only five plays. Last year, Levitre graded out as the 17th best guard in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics.
Falcons Unlikely To Re-Sign Dontari Poe
After one year in Atlanta, it sounds like Dontari Poe will be moving on. Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff told reporters on Wednesday that the two-time Pro Bowler is unlikely to be re-signed. 
“Did a heck of a job for us this year,” Dimitroff said (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure). “We really liked his impact for us — especially in the run game — understanding that it may be a one-year deal. We’re in a spot right now where there’s a very good chance that he’s going to go to free agency and land a very lucrative deal. So we appreciate what he has done with us.”
Poe joined the Falcons on a one-year, $8MM contract last season when the market did not yield the kind of big money long-term offers that he expected. Poe did well in that platform year as he registered 39 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and graded out as the No. 35 interior defender in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics. Those aren’t superstar numbers, but the big knock against Poe last year was that his lingering back issues might slow him down. Now that he has missed only two games over the course of his six-year career – and none over the last two years – teams may be willing to make a lengthier commitment to him.
Salary Cap Rollover For All 32 NFL Teams
This week, the NFLPA updated its salary cap report to include the rollover amounts for all 32 teams in the NFL. The Browns, as expected, lead the league in $58.9MM in cap space rolled over from the previous season. Here is the full rundown of each team’s rollover amounts:
After the Browns, the 49ers ($56MM), Titans ($30.3MM), Jaguars ($27.8MM), and Jets ($17.3MM) boast the highest rollover amounts in the league. The Dolphins ($69K), Saints ($287K), Giants ($365K), Eagles ($514K), and the Seahawks ($547K) have the least amount of rollover. In total, teams carried over nearly $340MM from last season, good for an average of $10.6MM per club.
Falcons Notes: Coleman, Ryan, Levitre
- Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff says that he has no interest in trading running back Tevin Coleman this offseason (Twitter link via Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com). Previously, Dimitroff indicated that he could see a scenario of extending Coleman even though the team has already paid Devonta Freeman. Last year, Coleman totaled 628 rushing yards and four touchdowns plus 27 catches for 299 yards. For what it’s worth, that’s 122 less receiving yards than he had in 2016 and his 4.0 yards-per-carry average was down from 4.4 over the previous two seasons.
- The Falcons know that they’ll have some tough choices to make as they create room for quarterback Matt Ryan‘s next deal. “We all know that as we start nearing the signing of quarterbacks in this league, and especially quarterbacks of Matt Ryan’s status, you have to be very creative,” Dimitroff said on 680 The Fan (via D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution). “There are going to be some difficult moves for us to make probably early next week and into next week.” Ledbetter notes that left guard Andy Levitre ($7MM in savings) and defensive end Brooks Reed ($3.6MM in savings) are both cap casualty candidates. Other cap casualty candidates include quarterback Matt Schaub ($3.25MM), defensive tackle Derrick Shelby ($3.2MM), wide receiver Mohamed Sanu ($3.1MM,) and tight end Levine Toilolo ($2.5MM).