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Atlanta Falcons News & Rumors

Contract Details: Jones, Taylor, Branch, D-Jax, Bitonio, Davis

March 9th, 2017 at 1:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here’s the latest on some of the latest contracts agreed to this week.

  • Chandler Jones‘ five-year Cardinals extension will pay him $16.5MM per year, Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com tweets. Jones will make $53MM in guaranteed money from his second NFL contract, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports adds (on Twitter).
  • Tyrod Taylor‘s restructured Bills deal is a two-year, $30.5MM pact, La Canfora reports (on Twitter), adding that the rest of it voids after 2018. Taylor will make $15.5MM in guarantees as a result of the re-done pact and $14.5MM in 2017. La Canfora adds the quarterback stands to collect $16MM in ’18.
  • Andre Branch‘s three-year Dolphins deal is worth $24MM, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe reports (on Twitter). Volin adds the contract includes two fully guaranteed years– at $17MM — for the 27-year-old pass-rusher. Volin adds that Branch could see $3.75MM more via incentives. Branch will receive a $6MM signing bonus, make $2.9MM in base salary in 2017, $7.9MM in ’18 and $6.9MM in ’19, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
  • DeSean Jackson‘s Buccaneers pact will be worth approximately $11MM per year, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com reports.
  • Joel Bitonio‘s five-year Browns extension will pay out $47.5MM in base salary, Nate Ulrich of Ohio.com tweets, adding $23MM in guarantees are included. The new deal kicks in after Bitonio’s 2017 season, so he’s under contract in Cleveland through 2022.
  • Vernon Davis‘ second Redskins contract will include a $4MM signing bonus and $7.5MM guaranteed, Wilson tweets. His base salaries from 2017-19, respectively, are $2MM, $3.75MM and $4.75MM.
  • Courtney Upshaw re-signing with the Falcons on a one-year deal will result in $1.15MM coming his way in 2017, Wilson tweets. The defender gets a $125K signing bonus and will make $775K in base salary this season.

Extra Points: Bears, Cutler, Bills, Gilmore, Kendricks, Eagles

March 9th, 2017 at 1:01pm CST by Zachary Links

No surprise here, but the Bears tried to trade Jay Cutler before releasing him on Thursday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. After his 2016 struggles, teams were not willing to take on his contract. He’s now a free agent.

Here’s more from around the NFL:.

  • Bills brass decided well before the 2016 season they wouldn’t pay Stephon Gilmore anything close to the $14MM/year figure he’ll reportedly get from the Patriots, Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News tweets.
  • There has been no movement on a potential Mychal Kendricks trade for the Eagles, a source tells Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer (on Twitter). He’ll see his $4.35MM salary guaranteed if he remains on the roster on Saturday.
  • The Falcons had talks about defensive tackle Terrell McClain, according to source who spoke with Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (on Twitter). However, McClain will be joining up with Washington on a multi-year deal.
  • The Eagles have some interest in bringing back Stefen Wisniewski, Mike Kaye of First Coast News tweets. Wisniewski has the ability to play either guard or center and did well in starts at left guard last season.

Falcons Re-Sign Courtney Upshaw

March 9th, 2017 at 9:16am CST by Zachary Links

Defensive lineman/linebacker Courtney Upshaw has agreed to terms to remain with the Falcons, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Those terms are not yet known, but he’ll remain in Atlanta. Courtney Upshaw (Vertical)

Upshaw joined the Falcons on a one-year, $1.25MM deal last year. In his first year with Atlanta, he recorded 23 tackles, one forced fumble, and a half-sack in 13 appearances (five starts). He didn’t set the world on fire, but his ability to play both linebacker and defensive end should come in handy for the Falcons next year. We had Upshaw ranked as one of the 15 best edge defenders on the open market this year.

In related news, the Falcons are cutting defensive tackle Tyson Jackson. Jackson had two years and $8.5MM left on his contract.

Falcons, 49ers In On Dontari Poe

March 8th, 2017 at 8:49pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Falcons and 49ers are among the clubs pursuing defensive tackle Dontari Poe, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link), who already connected the Redskins and Colts to Poe earlier today.Dontari Poe

Atlanta is expected to revamp its defensive line this offseason, and has already indicated it won’t re-sign veteran defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux. Poe, who ranks, as PFR’s No. 4 interior defender, who slot in at defensive tackle next to Grady Jarrett and Ra’Shede Hageman, each of whom improved in 2016. Overall, however, the Falcons’ front four ranked in the bottom half of the league in both adjusted line yards allowed and adjusted sack rate.

Like the Falcons, the 49ers will employ a Seattle-esque defense, and could use Poe in the middle of their 4-3 front. Although San Francisco’s roster is relatively barren, the one place it does have a bit of depth is up front. Former first-round picks Arik Armstead and DeForest Buckner will be joined by recent signing Earl Mitchell, while Aaron Lynch and Quinton Dial will also be factors.

As Jason Cole of Bleacher Report first reported today, Poe may be forced to accept a one-year, prove-it deal if his market doesn’t develop as expected. If Poe goes that route, he could re-enter the free agent market in 2018 at the age of 27.

Packers, Falcons In Mix For Nick Perry

March 8th, 2017 at 8:06pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

While Nick Perry could be the best edge rusher set to hit the open market Thursday, the Packers would like to keep him from leaving Geen Bay, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (via D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, on Twitter). They’re going to face competition, though, including from the Falcons, per Ledbetter.

"<strong[RELATED: Falcons To Lock Up Desmond Trufant]

Atlanta’s at least the third non-Packers team involved in the Perry sweepstakes, joining the Colts and Jets. As such, Perry should be in line for a better deal than the one-year, $5MM pact he inked with the Packers last March. Perry was then a player who had largely disappointed during his first few NFL seasons, leading Green Bay to decline the 2012 first-round pick’s fifth-year option for 2016.

In his latest action, Perry broke out as a 26-year-old and picked up career highs in starts (12), sacks (11) and tackles (52). Perry entered the year with only 16 starts and 12.5 sacks across 46 appearances.

For the Falcons, adding the 2016 version of Perry (if his most recent output doesn’t prove to be a fluke) would provide a complement to Vic Beasley and be a boon to a defense that ranked a middling 16th in the league in sacks last season. Further, although the Falcons advanced to the Super Bowl, they finished toward the bottom of the league in total defense (26th), defensive DVOA (27th) and points allowed (27th).

Falcons, Desmond Trufant Nearing Extension

March 8th, 2017 at 2:24pm CST by Zachary Links

The Falcons are getting close to retaining one of the top free agents. D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the team is finalizing a “lucrative contract extension” with cornerback Desmond Trufant.

Desmond TrufantIt was reported earlier this week that talks were beginning to heat up, as the Falcons were prioritizing re-signing the Pro Bowler. Ledbetter says the deal will likely be worth between $12MM and $14MM a year, and it will just miss the five-year, $75MM deal that Josh Norman received from the Redskins last offseason.

The former first-round pick has started every game he’s played in since entering the league in 2013. Trufant earned a Pro Bowl birth in 2015 after finishing the campaign with 42 tackles, one sack, seven passes defended, and one interception.

A torn pectoral muscle limited the defensive back to only nine games this past season, but the 26-year-old still managed to collect 31 tackles, two sacks, and two forced fumbles. Trufant ultimately ranked as the 32nd-best corner in the NFL out of 119 qualified players, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics.

Ledbetter notes that the organization is also trying to re-sign safety Kemal Ishmael, tight end Levine Toilolo and fullback Patrick DiMarco.

Falcons Re-Sign QB Matt Schaub

March 8th, 2017 at 2:18pm CST by Zachary Links

The Falcons and quarterback Matt Schaub reached agreement on a two-year, $9MM deal, sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Schaub will continue serve as the backup to starter Matt Ryan. Matt Schaub (vertical)

Schaub, 36 in June, spent last season with Atlanta and wound up appearing in five games. There was some speculation that he could have signed on with the Niners to be a transitional starting quarterback, but that option went away moments ago when SF signed Brian Hoyer.

Schaub now appears poised to end his career back where it all began. He entered the league as a third round pick of Atlanta in 2004 and spent three years as a backup. In 2007, he moved on to Houston where he had mixed results as a starter. He turned in a solid effort in 2012 and earned a 12-4 record as a starter. In the following year, however, he stumbled badly, leading to his exit. After stints with the Raiders and Ravens, Schaub hooked on with Atlanta prior to the 2016 campaign.

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/8/17

March 8th, 2017 at 12:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

Unrestricted free agent news will obviously dominate the day, but several clubs also had to make decisions on whether to offer tenders to restricted and exclusive rights free agents. All RFA tenders listed are original round/right of first refusal (worth $1.797MM), and all links go to Twitter:

RFAs:

Tendered:

Non-Tendered: 

ERFAs:

Tendered:

Falcons A Potential Suitor For OL D.J. Fluker

March 7th, 2017 at 12:34pm CST by Zachary Links
  • When it comes to offensive lineman D.J. Fluker, the Saints, Lions, Seahawks, Colts, Vikings, Giants, Cardinals, and Falcons are among the potential teams to watch, according to Josina Anderson on Twitter.

    [SOURCE LINK]

Julio Jones Undergoes Foot Surgery

March 6th, 2017 at 8:31pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Wide receiver Julio Jones underwent surgery to remove a bunion from his foot and is expected to be sidelined four-to-five months, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. That timeline won’t affect Jones’ availability for the regular season, as he’s expected to ready for Falcons training camp in late July.

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