Ex-Falcons OT Sam Baker Likely To Retire
David Baker, Sam Baker‘s father, told Gil Brandt and Alex Marvez of SiriusXM NFL Radio that his son “probably just concluded his career” because of injuries that maligned him for most of the past seven seasons in Atlanta. Baker was released back in June and his name hasn’t come up in connection with another club since that time.
Baker, 30, had been recovering from a torn right patellar tendon that forced him out of action for the entire 2014 season. Knee issues limited him to less than 200 offensive snaps in 2013 as well, so health and cap concerns likely both played a part in the Falcons’ decision to part ways with him.
Baker had been set to count for $7.3MM against Atlanta’s cap this year, and that number actually would’ve increased had the team opted to cut him prior to June 1. Instead, as a mid-June cut, he’ll have only a $2.8MM dead money cap hit for the Falcons this year, creating $4.5MM in cap room. The remaining $6.4MM in dead money on Baker’s contract will be on the club’s books for 2016.
Baker, a first-round pick in 2008, played 66 games (57 starts) at left tackle for the Falcons from 2008 to 2012 before injuries limited him over the last two seasons. While his solid play earned Baker a big contract, the team drafted Jake Matthews in 2014 intending to make Matthews the long-term left tackle. Had he remained on the team for the 2015 season, Baker likely would’ve played guard.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/11/15
Here are Tuesday’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves from around the NFL:
- The Bills have signed cornerback Lavelle Westbrooks and waived/injured receiver Caleb Holley, Joe Buscaglia of WKBW tweets.
- The Cowboys have signed defensive back Brandon Smith, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com (on Twitter). To make room for Smith, the Cowboys waived/injured Chris Whaley, who tore his Achilles on Monday (link).
- After getting word that JaCorey Shepherd suffered a torn ACL and will be out for the season, the Eagles added another cornerback to their roster, announcing today (via Twitter) that they’ve signed former Ravens seventh-round pick Marc Anthony.
- The Lions have placed tight end David Ausberry on their injured reserve list, ending his season, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com. Twentyman adds that the team signed cornerback Jocquel Skinner to fill the newly-created roster opening.
- In addition to confirming their previously reported signing of defensive tackle Tony McDaniel, the Buccaneers announced several more moves today in a press release. Tampa Bay signed punter Karl Schmitz, who was cut earlier this week by Denver, and waived rookie linebackers Quinton Alston and Sammuel Lamur.
- To make room on their roster for new kicker Garrett Hartley, the Steelers waived/injured QB/WR Devin Gardner, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter link). Gardner, who originally signed with the Patriots as an undrafted rookie out of Michigan in May, figures to land on Pittsburgh’s IR if he clears waivers.
- The Cardinals have made a change in their secondary, re-signing safety Ross Weaver and cutting another safety, D.J. Campbell, tweets Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com.
- The Falcons have removed safety Terell Floyd from their roster, reaching an injury settlement with him, according to the team.
- Three months after signing him as an undrafted free agent, the Packers have cut rookie wideout Ricky Collins, the club announced today in a press release. Battling a heel injury, Collins never got off Green Bay’s PUP list during camp.
- After clearing waivers, linebacker Matt Robinson will revert to the Jaguars‘ IR with a hamstring injury, tweets Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union.
- According to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (Twitter link), the NFL reinstated the previously-terminated contract between the Cowboys and linebacker Will Smith, who is back on the team’s injured reserve list.
NFC Notes: McKay, Bears, JPP, Rodgers
Falcons president Rich McKay, who received a suspension from the NFL as part of the team’s penalty for pumping fake crowd noise into the Georgia Dome, is set to meet with commissioner Roger Goodell and league officials about reinstatement to the competition committee, writes D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Owner Arthur Blank says he’s “optimistic” McKay will be reinstated.
“We’ve had some discussions with the league,” Blank said. “Rich is scheduled to go up there in a few weeks and meet with the commissioner and others. Rich certainly has my support. He was a very valued member of the committee for 22 years and was mentioned [Saturday] night by Bill Polian, who was an inductee into the Hall of Fame, as somebody who was important that he worked with for a number of years.”
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- The Bears, having traded guard Ryan Groy to the Patriots, have been keeping an eye out for potential offensive line additions during camp. According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, the club worked out veteran free agent Lucas Nix last week. Nix, 25, started 10 games for the Raiders in 2013.
- Despite Jason Pierre-Paul‘s absence from the Giants‘ training camp, co-owner John Mara says the team still has “a good relationship” with the defensive end, tweets Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. However, Mara added that JPP won’t rejoin the Giants “until he’s ready to come do some [physical] therapy.”
- Speaking to Peter King of TheMMQB.com, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers thinks he’s got another eight years in him. Of course, since Rodgers is still just 31 years old, it’s impossible to predict what his health or his NFL future will look like seven or eight years down the road. For what it’s worth, the two-time MVP also said two years ago that he hoped to play eight more seasons.
- The Rams‘ new two-year extension with quarterback Nick Foles is a smart deal for both sides, opines Jeff Gordon of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
- The Seahawks recently worked out several defensive linemen, including former Colorado State Pueblo pass rusher Darius Allen, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).
Falcons, Julio Jones On Verge Of Extension?
Falcons owner Arthur Blank says he feels very confident that star receiver Julio Jones will have a new five-year deal “very, very soon,” Gil Brandt of NFL.com tweets. At the moment, Jones is set to play the 2015 season on his fully guaranteed fifth-year option, worth $10.176MM.
The market for top-flight receivers was, of course, set just a few weeks ago, when Demaryius Thomas and Dez Bryant inked five-year, $70MM deals with their respective clubs. As our Luke Adams pointed out in his recent examination of Jones as an extension candidate, Jones is in line to land an even more lucrative contract, with an average annual value of over $15MM.
Jones’ numbers would certainly support such a deal. In 15 games, Jones racked up 1,593 yards and six touchdowns on 104 receptions, setting a new Falcons team record for most receiving yards in a season. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) also ranked him right behind Bryant and Thomas, despite the fact that he played fewer snaps than either player. However, a fractured foot limited Jones to just five games in 2013, he missed a game last season due to a hip pointer, and he has dealt with multiple hamstring issues in his professional career.
Jones confirmed to reporters late last month that talks were underway between his representatives and the Falcons, though he was unwilling to put a timetable on when a deal might get done. Blank’s comments could be an indication that a deal is coming in a matter of days, or even hours.
NFC Notes: A. Smith, Rams, Falcons, Panthers
Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee has had a look at how Aldon Smith‘s release will impact the 49ers as a whole and a few individual players moving forward. For instance, Barrows writes that the team had been working with $10MM of cap space which, if unused, would roll over to 2016 and would be put toward a player. That player, of course, was Smith. Now, the team will need to decide what to do with its surplus cash. The team could bring in free agent guard Evan Mathis, and players like Vernon Davis, Ian Williams, and Quinton Dial might also be in line to get some of that money.
Barrows also details the emotional and strategic fallout of Smith’s release, and he writes that Corey Lemonier, who looked destined to be cut just a couple of days ago, may be able to hold on to his roster spot.
Now let’s take a look at a few more links from around the league:
- Paul Domowitch of The Philadelphia Inquirer tweets that Rams head coach Jeff Fisher took the St. Louis head coaching job because of Sam Bradford, but he traded Bradford because he could not afford to gamble that Bradford would not suffer a third ACL tear.
- Within an article touching on Julio Jones, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com reports that Falcons president Rich McKay will meet with commissioner Roger Goodell and executive vice president Troy Vincent to discuss McKay’s reinstatement to the NFL’s competition committee. McKay, Atlanta’s GM from 2003-08, was suspended from the committee as a result of the Falcons pumping in crowd noise during home games the past two seasons.
- In his latest mailbag at ESPN.com, David Newton writes that despite Michael Oher‘s slow start in camp, the Panthers are in a much better place at left tackle than they were a year ago. Head coach Ron Rivera has spoken in defense of Oher, and Carolina is content with Nate Chandler and Amini Silatolu as Oher’s backups.
- While the Panthers‘ front seven has been widely lauded, the clubs’ secondary has remained largely anonymous, even being labeled the “Legion of Whom” by broadcaster Jon Gruden. But as Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer notes, Carolina’s defensive backfield could start to generate some headlines this year, as young corners Bene Benwikere, Tre Boston, and Josh Norman will be joined by veterans Charles Tillman, Kurt Coleman, and Roman Harper.
Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.
Arthur Blank: J. Jones To Be A Falcon For Life
We learned at the end of last month that Julio Jones and his agent had begun working towards a long-term extension that would keep the star wideout in a Falcons uniform for the foreseeable future. Although there is not yet a timeline for such an extension, owner Arthur Blank expects Jones to be a Falcon not only for the next few years, but for the remainder of his career.
Per D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Blank said, “We’re moving as quickly as we can. The player has been fabulous. He came into camp in great shape. He’s working all-out. There is no hesitation or question on his part.…We expect Julio to be lifer for the Falcons. We are moving forward and have every reason to be positive and be enthusiastic about it.”
The market for top-flight receivers was, of course, set just a few weeks ago, when Demaryius Thomas and Dez Bryant inked five-year, $70MM deals with their respective clubs. As our Luke Adams pointed out in his recent examination of Jones as an extension candidate, Jones is in line to land an even more lucrative contract, with an average annual value of over $15MM.
Jones’ numbers would certainly support such a deal. As Adams wrote, “in 15 games, Jones racked up 1,593 yards and six touchdowns on 104 receptions, setting a new Falcons team record for most receiving yards in a season. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) also ranked him right behind Bryant and Thomas, despite the fact that he played fewer snaps than either player.” However, a fractured foot limited Jones to just five games in 2013, he missed a game last season due to a hip pointer, and he has dealt with multiple hamstring issues in his professional career.
Blank, though, seems unconcerned with Jones’ injury history. He said, “We’ve gotten the best medical advice, really in the world. [Jones] followed their program last year to a tee. This year, he’s been able to do more in the offseason and it reflects in how he looks at camp.”
Blank also went out of his way to compliment Jones’ agent, Jimmy Sexton, calling him a “very professional agent who actually understands the business.” We have seen negotiations between clubs and their best players turn ugly, so it makes sense that both sides are working quickly towards a deal while positive feelings prevail. Blank certainly wants to avoid any unnecessary drama next year, when Jones is eligible for unrestricted for free agency and would be a prime candidate for the franchise tag. And if Blank’s recent comments are any indication, he may be close to achieving that goal.
More Minor NFL Transactions: 8/7/15
We rounded up several minor transactions from around the league earlier today, but teams have been busy since then, so we’ve got many more moves to recap. Here’s the latest:
- The Cowboys have signed offensive tackle Cody Clay after a workout, reports Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com (via Twitter). The team waive/injured linebacker Will Smith, who was unavailable due to a groin injury.
- Isaiah Pead and the Rams have agreed a new deal for the final year of his contract on July 30th, reports Howard Balzer of FoxSportsMidwest.com (via Twitter). His base salary was reduced from $940,650 to $585,000 for 2015 (via Twitter).
- Veteran tight end Alex Smith – not to be confused with the quarterback of the same name – has signed with the Saints, who waived rookie tight end Jack Tabb with an injury designation, tweets Evan Woodbery of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
- The Steelers have placed defensive end Clifton Geathers on their injured reserve list, signing free agent defensive tackle Joe Okafor to take his place, the team announced today (via Twitter). As a veteran player, Geathers didn’t have to pass through waivers before landing on IR.
- In addition to confirming the previously-reported signing of running back Michael Ford, the Falcons also made a few more moves. As Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter), the club signed tight end D.J. Tialavea, waived wide receiver Freddie Martino, and waived/injured tight Beau Gardner, who injured his knee.
- Safety Robert Smith, waived yesterday by the Colts, has been claimed by the Seahawks, per Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter link). Seattle cut safety Ty Zimmerman to clear room on the roster.
- The Titans have made a change at the fullback position, signing Zach Boren and waiving undrafted rookie Connor Neighbors with an injury designation, according to Jim Wyatt of Titans Online (Twitter link).
- The Giants have signed rookie safety Justin Halley, waiving receiver Chris Harper with an injured designation to create an opening on the roster, per Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (Twitter link).
- The Patriots have reached an injury settlement with defensive lineman Vince Taylor, removing him from their injured reserve list, tweets Shalise Manza Young of the Boston Globe.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/7/15
Here are Friday’s minor signings, cuts, and other transactions from around the NFL:
- With Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman both nursing injuries, the Falcons have bolstered their backfield depth by signing running back Michael Ford, per Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The LSU product spent some time with the Bears in 2013.
- Offensive lineman Ben Heenan has been waived by the Colts after suffering an MCL injury, tweets Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star. The team reached an injury settlement with Heenan, so he won’t go on the IR if the clears waivers. To replace Heenan, the Colts signed free agent guard Kitt O’Brien.
- The Chargers have swapped one offensive lineman for another at the back of their roster, waiving rookie Ben Beckwith with an injury designation, and signing undrafted free agent Melvin Meggs, according to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter link).
- Earlier this week, the Texans released offensive lineman Will Yeatman with an injury settlement. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets that the settlement was worth just over $68K.
- Wilson also reports (via Twitter) that wide receiver Eli Rogers has been placed on the Steelers‘ injured reserve list after going unclaimed on waivers.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/5/15
Today’s minor NFL moves and signings..
- The Eagles signed rookie free agent linebacker Diaheem Watkins, Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com tweets.
- The Seahawks announced that they have signed linebacker Dakorey Johnson, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times tweets. Johnson takes the place of linebacker Alex Singleton, who was cut loose earlier today.
- The Bears have waived/injured tight end Brian Vogler with a foot injury, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune tweets.
- The 49ers agreed to terms with wide receiver Nigel King, as Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com tweets.
Earlier Updates:
- The Rams waived wide receiver Devon Wylie, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets.
- The Falcons waived cornerback Michael Lee and signed nose tackle Derrick Hopkins, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com tweets.
- The Buccaneers announced (on Twitter) that they have waived long snapper Courtland Clavette.
- The Panthers signed cornerback T.J. Heath and defensive tackle Kenny Horsley, David Newton of ESPN.com tweets. To make room, Carolina released punter Matt Wile.
- Washington announced the signings of cornerbacks Bryan McCann and DreQuan Hoskey. McCann, who first entered the league as UDFA with the Cowboys in 2010, has made multiple stops around the NFL. Hoskey, a Virginia product, was in rookie minicamp this summer and made a strong impression on coaches. Washington also cut Phillip Thomas and waived/injured Tevin Mitchel, John Keim of ESPN.com tweets.
- The Steelers signed undrafted rookie wide receiver Kenzel Doe of Wisconsin and waived-injured undrafted rookie receiver Eli Rogers, Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tweets.
- The Ravens signed defensive tackle Micajah Reynolds and waived defensive tackle Casey Walker, who just came off the PUP list on Monday, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com tweets.
- The Bears are signing USC tight end Kevin Greene, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune tweets.
Offseason In Review: Atlanta Falcons
With a different regime in place – including new head coach Dan Quinn – can the Falcons rebound from their 6-10 showing in 2014?
Notable signings:
- Brooks Reed, LB: Five years, $22.5MM. $6.9MM guaranteed.
- Justin Durant, LB: Three years, $10.8MM. $1.25MM guaranteed.
- Matt Bryant, K: Three years, $8.5MM. $1MM guaranteed.
- Adrian Clayborn, DE: One year, $3MM. $750K guaranteed.
- Chris Chester, G: One year, $2.8MM. $550K guaranteed.
- Mike Person, G: Three years, $3.35MM. $500K guaranteed.
- Kroy Biermann, DE: One year, $1.925MM. $500K guaranteed.
- Eric Weems, WR: Two years, $2.28MM. $425K guaranteed.
- Jacob Tamme, TE: Two years, $3.2MM. $400K guaranteed.
- T.J. Yates, QB: One year, $1.5MM. $370K guaranteed.
- O’Brien Schofield, LB: One year, $1.7MM. $255K guaranteed.
- Leonard Hankerson, WR: One year, $1MM. $255K guaranteed.
- Antone Smith, RB: One year, $1.2MM. $200K guaranteed.
- Patrick DiMarco, FB: Two years, minimum salary. $75K guaranteed.
- Charles Godfrey, S: One year, $1.25MM. $50K guaranteed.
- Phillip Adams, CB: One year, minimum salary benefit.
- Tony Moeaki, TE: One year, minimum salary benefit.
- Tyler Polumbus, T: One year, minimum salary benefit.
- Cliff Matthews, DE: Two years, minimum salary.
- Nathan Stupar, LB: One year, minimum salary.
The Falcons’ two biggest expenditures this offseason were at the linebacker position. On March 10th, the official start of free agency, Atlanta inked Brooks Reed and Justin Durant. Reed spent the first four years of his career in Houston, where he started 52 of a possible 60 games and racked up 14.5 sacks. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) rated him the 26th-best 3-4 OLB in the NFL out of 46 qualifiers last season.
Now with the Falcons, Durant joins his fourth team in what will be his ninth year. He spent 2014 with the Cowboys and missed 10 games with a torn bicep, amassing 49 tackles in six contests. Durant finished 17th out of 40 qualifiers in Pro Football Focus’ 4-3 OLB rankings. The Cowboys reportedly hoped to retain the 29-year-old, but they were unsuccessful in their efforts.
O’Brien Schofield, another linebacker of note, followed his former coach to Atlanta this offseason. Schofield recorded 25 total tackles and two sacks last season with the Seahawks and played in all 16 regular season games.
Adrian Clayborn, 27, played only one game for the Bucs before being placed on IR last September. In the year prior, he made 16 starts at right defensive end and tallied 43 tackles and 5.5 sacks. Clayborn was hoping to establish himself in 2014, his contract year, but he didn’t get the opportunity to show what he can do before hitting open market. The Bucs declined their fifth-year option on the former No. 20 overall pick in April of 2014. Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required) weren’t all that fond of Clayborn’s performance in 2013, ranking him 47th out of 52 qualified 4-3 defensive ends. Clayborn didn’t shine in his walk year like he had hoped, but the Falcons may have gotten a great value on this one-year deal.
When veteran guard Chris Chester was released by Washington, he didn’t last long on the open market. Two days after he was put on the unemployment line, the Falcons swooped in and signed him. Chester, 32, started at right guard for Washington last season, but with 2014 third-rounder Spencer Long ready to take over that role and Chester’s cap number approaching $5MM, the veteran became expendable. Still, while Spencer, a former second-round pick, may not have been in Washington’s long-term plans, he can still be a positive contributor.
Veteran free agent Jacob Tamme didn’t play a focal role in the Broncos offense last season but it’s possible that we’ll see a little more of him on the field now that he’s in Atlanta. The tight end grabbed 52 balls in 2012, but the former fourth-round pick had his reception total drop to 20 in 2013 and to just 14 in 2014.
In late February, the Falcons kept longtime kicker Matt Bryant from hitting the open market with a multi-year extension. Bryant, who has been with the Falcons since the 2009 season, has been very consistent during his time in Atlanta. He made 29 of 32 field goal attempts in 2014, with his only three misses coming from 50+ yards out. In 2013, two of his three misses were from 50+ yards.
Notable losses:
- Javier Arenas, CB
- Sam Baker, T: Released
- Justin Blalock, G: Released (he then retired)
- Gabe Carimi, OL
- Drew Davis, WR
- Harry Douglas, WR: Released
- Steven Jackson, RB: Released
- Dwight Lowery, S
- Jonathan Massaquoi, LB: Waived
- Robert McClain, CB
- Bear Pascoe, TE
- Corey Peters, DT
- Jacquizz Rodgers, RB
- Prince Shembo, LB: Waived
- Osi Umenyiora, DE/LB
- Sean Weatherspoon, LB
- Josh Wilson, CB
Steven Jackson first joined the Falcons as a free agent in March of 2013 after spending his entire career with the Rams up until that point. In February of 2015, Atlanta parted ways with the veteran. At the peak of his career, Jackson was regarded as one of the best running backs in the NFL and had three Pro Bowl selections to his credit. Unfortunately, he was never able to match that same kind of success in Atlanta. Follow running back Jacquizz Rodgers is also out of Atlanta after hooking on with the Bears.
Justin Blalock was a mainstay at the left guard spot in Atlanta since entering the league in 2007, having started all 125 games he has played during his career with the Falcons. That’s why his February release came as something of a surprise. Even putting his experience aside, the former second-round pick was still an above-average guard, according to Pro Football Focus – Blalock received positive grades from the site for each of the last five seasons (subscription required). In June, Blalock decided to walk away from the game.
Harry Douglas was a hero in 2013, when injuries to Julio Jones and Roddy White increased his role in the Falcons’ offense, allowing him to set new career highs in catches (85) and receiving yards (1,067). Jones and White returned to health for the 2014 season, and Douglas returned to his role as Matt Ryan‘s No. 3 target. With a base salary of $3.5MM for the 2015 season, the Falcons felt that Douglas wasn’t worth the cash and released him in late February, right around when they bid farewell to S-Jax.
Veteran pass rusher Osi Umenyiora didn’t draw a ton of interest on the free agent market after his deal with the Falcons expired and Atlanta didn’t seem all that interested in a reunion. Late last month, the veteran agreed to sign a one-day deal with Big Blue so that he could retire as a member of the Giants.
Trades:
- Acquired a 2015 fifth-round pick (No. 137; DT Grady Jarrett) from the Vikings in exchange for a 2015 fifth-round pick (No. 146; WR Stefon Diggs) and a 2015 sixth-round pick (No. 185; T Tyrus Thompson).
Draft picks:
- 1-8: Vic Beasley, DE/OLB (Clemson): Signed
- 2-42: Jalen Collins, CB (LSU): Signed
- 3-73: Tevin Coleman, RB (Indiana): Signed
- 4-107: Justin Hardy, WR (East Carolina): Signed
- 5-137: Grady Jarrett, DT (Clemson): Signed
- 7-225: Jake Rodgers, T (Eastern Washington): Signed
- 7-250: Akeem King, S (San Jose State): Signed
The Falcons have struggled to produce an effective pass rush over the last couple seasons, and the arrival of Beasley is expected to help improve that aspect of the defense. It will be interesting to see how Quinn makes use of Beasley, who was considered one of the top edge rushers in this year’s draft.
Other:
- Restructured front office. GM Thomas Dimitroff retained final say over draft and free agency, while assistant GM Scott Pioli took on more pro/college scouting and draft responsibilities.
- Hired Dan Quinn as head coach to replace Mike Smith.
- Hired Kyle Shanahan as offensive coordinator to replace Dirk Koetter.
- Hired Richard Smith as defensive coordinator to replace Mike Nolan.
- Signed 11 players to reserve/futures contracts.
- Signed 19 undrafted rookie free agents following the draft.
The hiring of Dan Quinn as Falcons head coach was the worst kept secret in football for what felt like forever. After the Super Bowl, however, the Seahawks defensive coordinator finally was able to put pen to paper with Atlanta. A former defensive line coach, Quinn has led the league’s top defense in Seattle in each of the last two seasons as the club’s defensive coordinator. While his stint with the Seahawks had an unfortunate ending, Quinn was regarded as one of the leading head coaching candidates of the offseason. He is a highly touted defensive mind, but Quinn also had a pool of talent available to him in Seattle. It’ll be interesting to see if he has enough to work with in Atlanta after the moves made this offseason.
Prior to the hiring of Quinn, the Falcons announced a restructuring of the player personnel department with changes affecting general manager Thomas Dimitroff and assistant GM Scott Pioli. Pioli has taken on pro and college scouting and NFL draft responsibilities, reporting to Dimitroff. Dimitroff also “retain[ed] management responsibility for salary cap, player affairs, equipment, sports medicine and performance, and video activities.” Each exec now reports separately to owner Arthur Blank.
Top 10 cap hits for 2015:
- Matt Ryan, QB: $19,500,000
- Julio Jones, WR: $10,176,000
- Roddy White, WR: $5,556,250
- William Moore, S: $5,368,750
- Paul Soliai, DT: $4,400,000
- Jon Asamoah, G: $4,268,750
- Justin Blalock, G: $4,120,000 (dead money)
- Joe Hawley, C: $4,000,000
- Tyson Jackson, DT: $3,850,000
- Jake Matthews, LT: $3,733,977
The Falcons didn’t make the flashiest moves this offseason, but they might have had one of the better offseasons of any team in the NFL. Atlanta undeniably got stronger on the defensive side of the ball and they have the right coach to make that unit as successful as possible. If the Falcons’ offensive line – which was largely neglected this spring – can perform better than last season, there’s no reason to think that they can’t come out on top in the NFC South.
Contract information from Over the Cap and Spotrac was used in the creation of this post.