Latest On Giants’ Potential Interest In OBJ
Odell Beckham Jr. visited East Rutherford last month to say hi to some of his former teammates and Giants staff members. Since he didn’t meet with GM Joe Schoen nor head coach Brian Daboll, the pop-in didn’t qualify as an official visit. However, that doesn’t mean the Giants wouldn’t have interest in reuniting with their former star receiver. Schoen told reporters that the organization is keeping their options open when it comes to midseason additions.
“I had no idea he was in the building until he was out of the building,” Schoen said of OBJ’s October visit (via ESPN’s Jordan Raanan). “Obviously he’s been a good player. He’s a guy we would consider and talk to, when he’s healthy. I think he did the ACL in February, so not sure really where he is physically.
“But yeah, any player that would upgrade the roster we’re going to consider and have conversations with their representatives.”
The veteran receiver is almost nine months removed from the torn ACL he suffered during the Super Bowl. Since then, he’s been connected to a number of contenders, and it was assumed OBJ would join a new squad once he was fully recovered from his injury. With a 6-2 record, the Giants have suddenly emerged as a potential suitor for the receiver, a move that would reunite him with the organization that he spent his first five professional seasons with.
It remains to be seen what OBJ can bring to the table, especially following the ACL injury. Beckham, who turns 30 today, hasn’t topped 1,000 receiving yards since the 2019 campaign. In 14 games (13 starts) with the Browns and Rams last year, the receiver hauled in 44 receptions for 537 yards and five touchdowns.
Even if he isn’t providing his top-tier production, Beckham could still be a useful piece for the Giants. Kenny Golladay has missed the past four games, but even then, the veteran was struggling to carve out a significant role on offense prior to his absence. The Giants also dealt Kadarius Toney to the Chiefs earlier this week, leaving Darius Slayton and rookie Wan’Dale Robinson atop the depth chart.
Giants Eyeing Saquon Barkley Extension; Franchise Tag In Play
Saquon Barkley‘s comeback season features the former Offensive Rookie of the Year sitting second in rushing yards as the Giants hit their bye week. The injury-prone running back has worked his way back onto the extension radar, and the Giants’ new regime appears onboard with a second Barkley contract.
After listening on Barkley trade interest this offseason, Giants GM Joe Schoen has spoken to the fifth-year running back about an extension.
“Saquon and I have a great relationship. I told him I’d like him to be here, and I think he’s in the same boat,” Schoen said during an appearance on WFAN’s Tiki & Tierney. “We’ll see if we can work something out here at some point.
“He’s a guy we’re gonna do our due diligence on. We’d like to keep him around here. We can get into the contract extension talks … decide a value for the player, where we see him and why, and then knowing we have the franchise tag as a tool in the toolbox.”
A Barkley extension emerged as a possibility last year, when the regime that drafted him was still at the controls, but died down after the Penn State product went down with an early-season ankle injury. Barkley did not establish much momentum in the weeks that followed, though just about no Giant did in a miserable finish to the 2021 campaign, and no extension buzz surfaced this offseason. Barkley, 25, was more closely connected to being moved.
We explored the prospect of a Barkley extension in September, but now that the former No. 2 overall pick has submitted more evidence of being back to his pre-ACL-tear version, the floor for an extension looks to have risen. Barkley sits second behind Nick Chubb in rushing yards (779) and ranks behind only Tyreek Hill in scrimmage yards (986). Then again, the running back market has not moved in a while. Christian McCaffrey, Alvin Kamara and Ezekiel Elliott still reside atop this position group, AAV-wise, on deals from 2020 (CMC, Kamara) and 2019 (Zeke). Those big-money extensions — at or north of $15MM per year — have generated mixed returns as well.
Barkley’s value to the Giants, a stalled running back market, a crowded backfield class headed toward free agency and the salary cap disparity between 2020 ($198.2MM) and 2023 (perhaps north of $220MM) complicate a potential deal. So does Barkley’s injury history, which hovers over the rest of the dynamic back’s season as well. But if Schoen is correct in noting Barkley wants to stay in New York as well, the process could be easier.
If the Giants were to tag Barkley, it would not be too expensive. Last year, the running back tag came in at just $9.57MM. After battling through cap trouble this offseason, Big Blue’s new regime is projected to have at least $60MM in funds next year. Barkley is playing on a $7.23MM fifth-year option, but unlike most running backs, he came into the league with a monster payday. With the fifth-year option added to his bank account, Barkley will move beyond $38MM in career earnings at season’s end.
Daniel Jones‘ status could conceivably interfere with a Barkley tag, however. While both the franchise and transition tags are available to teams, only one can be used per offseason. Jones has been mentioned as a candidate for the seldom-used transition tag, which locks in a lesser amount but gives other teams more flexibility to negotiate with the player. Schoen said (via The Athletic’s Dan Duggan) the fourth-year quarterback is still being evaluated. A QB transition tag, projected at roughly $28MM, would be much more expensive than a running back franchise tag.
Jones’ improved play, with a bottom-tier receiving corps, further stands to complicate the Giants’ 2023 offseason. While Schoen is open to negotiating with players this week, Duggan adds, he does not wish to do so once the Giants’ bye wraps. That would table the Barkley and Jones matters to January. Two players who looked to be on the way out with the organization are suddenly back in the long-term picture, injecting more intrigue into the surprising team’s status.
Giants, Others Called Broncos On Jerry Jeudy; Team Wanted Round 2 Pick?
This year’s wide receiver trade market included Jerry Jeudy, but the Broncos backed away from trading him. They instead unloaded Bradley Chubb for first- and fourth-round picks, along with Chase Edmonds. But teams showed interest in Jeudy, a former first-rounder.
Denver is believed to have wanted a second-rounder for Jeudy, Dan Duggan of The Athletic notes (subscription required). Broncos GM George Paton said several calls came in for Jeudy and the team’s other wide receivers, but the team — which has each of its top three wideouts under contract beyond 2022 — stood down. The Chubb market picked up considerably ahead of the deadline, but the Broncos had been leaning toward keeping Jeudy for a few days before NFL trading ceased.
“We received a number of calls on our receivers, some other positions,” Paton said. “We wanted to keep our young, talented receivers. We started to get some rhythm in the last game vs. Jacksonville. We just feel good with where we’re going. We’re trending in the right direction with Jerry and [KJ] Hamler and Courtland [Sutton]. We didn’t want to break that up. I think we have a good thing going. We’re in it to win it moving forward, and so we kept all of our receivers.”
Rumored to be interested, the Giants indeed called the Broncos on Jeudy, Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports adds. Addressing his team’s need at receiver, Giants GM Joe Schoen said “the price point just didn’t work out,” citing a desire to protect future draft picks. The Giants were interested in Jeudy and Brandin Cooks, though the latter’s big 2023 salary ($18MM) interrupted every team’s talks with the Texans, but were viewed as unlikely to part with more than a Day 3 pick for a wideout. Chase Claypool ended up being the only receiver — at least, among those eligible to play in 2022 — moved at the deadline, going from Pittsburgh to Chicago for a Round 2 choice.
The Broncos’ previous regime drafted Jeudy 15th overall. The Alabama alum (30 catches, 449 yards, three touchdowns in 2022) is on pace for a career-high receiving total, but he has also enjoyed an inconsistent career and has struggled with drops. Jeudy, 23, has four this season; Sutton has five. Coupled with Russell Wilson‘s struggles assimilating in Nathaniel Hackett‘s offense, the Broncos have run into rampant issues on that side of the ball.
Still, Denver moving forward with Jeudy makes sense. He is tied to his rookie contract through 2023, with a to-be-determined fifth-year option allowing the deal to be extended through 2024. While the Broncos have not lived up to offseason expectations, a true fire sale did not make much sense — especially at receiver. The team could finetune this group next year, but as of now, Wilson’s top four wideouts — Sutton, Jeudy, Hamler and Tim Patrick — are all under contract in 2023.
The Giants have a far less certain receiving corps — both this year and next. They traded Kadarius Toney to the Chiefs and have lost Sterling Shepard for the season. Kenny Golladay has missed much of this year with an MCL sprain, while Darius Slayton only recently re-emerged from Brian Daboll‘s doghouse. Shepard and Slayton are on expiring contracts, with Golladay a certain 2023 cap casualty. With Wan’Dale Robinson about the lone guaranteed receiving cog to be part of next year’s Giants, this will be a major offseason need.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/2/22
Here are today’s minor transactions from around the league:
Arizona Cardinals
- Placed on IR: RB Darrel Williams
- Waived with injury settlement: K Rodrigo Blankenship
Green Bay Packers
- Activated from PUP: RB Kylin Hill
Houston Texans
- Released: DE Demone Harris
New York Giants
- Claimed off waivers (from Bills): WR Isaiah Hodgins
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed to active roster: OL John Molchon, LB J.J. Russell
Injury Updates: Eichenberg, Smith, Parker, Moore, Bellinger
Dolphins guard Liam Eichenberg was carted off the field in this Sunday’s trip to Detroit. The injury isn’t as serious as initially feared, but it appears Eichenberg has suffered an MCL injury and will miss some time, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
Miami will have options to replace Eichenberg. Michael Deiter started eight games at center last year for the Dolphins and 15 games at Eichenberg’s left guard position in 2019. Brandon Shell and Greg Little are also options with plenty of starting experience, albeit at tackle. Robert Jones is also an option after starting a game last year.
Here are a few other injury updates from around the NFL:
- The Vikings are expected to be down another tight end after Irv Smith suffered a high ankle sprain in Sunday’s win over the Cardinals, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. With Ben Ellefson on injured reserve, Minnesota will have to rely on veteran Johnny Mundt who came over from Los Angeles in the offseason. Mundt has had limited targets this year with Minnesota’s litany of talented pass catchers, but his 12 receptions are already more than he had during his five years with the Rams. The Vikings will also likely explore the option of signing one of its two practice squad tight ends, Jacob Hollister and Nick Muse.
- After suffering a knee sprain on the first play of the Patriots’ win over the Jets this weekend, wide receiver DeVante Parker is not expected to miss extended time, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Rapoport reports that if he does miss time, it should only be one game, especially since New England has a bye after next Sunday’s contest against the Colts. He should definitely be back in time for a rematch with the Jets in Week 11.
- Colts cornerback Kenny Moore suffered a right hand sprain in practice last week, according to James Boyd of The Athletic. As Boyd inquired about the injury, Moore revealed that he has also been playing with a torn ligament in his left hand since the start of the season. Neither injury is expected to hold Moore out of any games, but this interview offered a glimpse into what Moore has been playing through this year.
- After a gruesome freak accident that saw Jaguars rookie linebacker Devin Lloyd strike Giants tight end Daniel Bellinger directly in the eye on a whiffed attempt to punch the ball out, Bellinger reportedly “underwent successful surgery to correct fractures on (the) lower window of (his) eye socket and damage to (his) septum,” according to Fowler. Bellinger hopes to return in two to six weeks, but other sources indicate that four to six weeks is a much more reasonable timeline.
Giants Remain Interested In WRs; Team Unlikely To Trade High Picks
Having seen offseason trade candidate Darius Slayton become Daniel Jones‘ top target in recent weeks, the Giants have a need at wide receiver ahead of Tuesday’s deadline. How much are they willing to give up to acquire one?
Recently linked to Brandin Cooks, the Giants have indeed called the Texans on the oft-traded pass catcher, Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports tweets. Cooks will not cost what fellow Giants target Jerry Jeudy would, but the ninth-year veteran has been connected to other destinations — most notably the Rams — as well.
Cooks, 29, has been mentioned as being willing to give up some guaranteed money to facilitate a trade. That arrangement may only apply to the Rams, and it would surprise to the thrice-dealt wideout agree to give up too much cash. Cooks signed a two-year, $39MM extension with the Texans, and while they are amid a rebuild, the veteran receiver did well to score $36MM fully guaranteed. The former Saint, Patriot and Ram is not quite on pace for a seventh 1,000-yard season, as he has 32 catches for 354 yards, but he still carries some value ahead of the deadline. Regardless of Cooks’ status, the Rams join the Giants as parties interested in receiver help.
Jeudy remains a Giants target as well, per Vacchiano, but ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan adds (via Twitter) the Broncos’ asking price is steep. Unlike fellow Broncos trade chip Bradley Chubb, Jeudy is under contract through 2023 and can be kept through 2024 via the fifth-year option. The Giants should not be expected to part with more than a Day 3 pick for a wideout, Vacchiano adds.
The Giants entered the season closer to rebuilding than contending, and the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy adds that indications are GM Joe Schoen does not view his team as a receiver away from serious contention. Schoen is interested in an upgrade, per Dunleavy, but it appears Jeudy — a player the Broncos do not appear eager to deal — will likely cost too much for the Giants’ liking.
New York’s decision to ship Kadarius Toney to Kansas City does well to illustrate a belief one receiver addition will not be something that vaults the team onto the Super Bowl-contending tier. The Giants did collect an extra third-rounder for Toney, giving them four Day 1 or Day 2 picks in 2023. But those selections are more likely to be used on college talent than sacrificed to help a surprisingly successful 2022 squad.
The Giants have Slayton and second-rounder Wan’Dale Robinson as their top receiving assets, but journeyman Marcus Johnson played 86% of Big Blue’s offensive snaps Sunday in Seattle. The team has Kenny Golladay rehabbing an MCL sprain; the free agency bust has not played since Week 4. Golladay, whom the Giants dangled in trades this summer, has two receptions this season. The Giants will almost certainly make the $18MM-per-year player a 2023 cap casualty.
It will be interesting if the Giants’ weeks-long goal of acquiring receiver help will come to fruition, and while the team did make a buyer’s trade at the 2019 deadline (Leonard Williams), big-name assistance probably should not be expected by Tuesday. In 2023, however, the Giants — who have Slayton and the injured Sterling Shepard on expiring contracts — will undoubtedly be busy at the position.
Giants Activate OLB Elerson Smith, Place OL Ben Bredeson On IR
The Giants have shuffled some players onto and off of the injured reserve list today, according to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network, activating second-year pass rusher Elerson Smith from IR and placing offensive lineman Ben Bredeson on IR.
Smith missed the first eight games of his rookie season, as well, while dealing with hamstring issues. In very limited defensive snaps when he returned, Smith only amassed eight total tackles but flashed some ability with a forced fumble and two quarterback hits. Near the end of his rookie season, Smith was placed on IR with a neck injury, but that wasn’t the issue heading into this season. This year a lower leg ailment has held Smith out of the first seven games of the year. He is set to make his season debut, subbing in behind Jihad Ward and Leonard Williams.
Bredeson has been a starting guard for the Giants this season after getting traded from the Ravens last year. Bredeson first got a taste of the starting offense last year when filling in for Nick Gates and was named the starting left guard to start the year after an injury to Shane Lemieux in the preseason. With Bredeson set to miss extended time, the Giants can turn to Gates, rookie third-round pick Joshua Ezeudu, or another former Raven in Tyre Phillips.
The Giants made two gameday elevations from the practice squad today, in addition to the IR moves. Veteran safety Landon Collins and converted tight end Lawrence Cager will be active for Sunday afternoon’s matchup with the Seahawks.
Texans WR Brandin Cooks Could Give Up Money To Facilitate Rams Trade
Brandin Cooks is emerging as a popular name leading up to Tuesday’s trade deadline. We heard yesterday that the Chiefs, Packers, and Rams were among the squads looking into the veteran receiver, but it sounds like Cooks may have a preference for where he lands.
[RELATED: Chiefs, Packers, Rams Looking Into Texans’ Brandin Cooks]
A source told Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com that Cooks could be willing to sacrifice some of his 2023 salary “in order to escape the Texans and return to the Rams.” Cooks has a fully-guaranteed $18MM salary coming his way in 2023, a factor that’s complicated trade talks so far. The financials of a trade would be a whole lot easier if Cooks was willing to give up some of that money, and Florio suggests the Texans could also eat some of the contract. Indeed, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com writes, Houston is willing to deal Cooks. Schefter adds the Giants and Vikings as potential landing spots.
Florio compares the situation to that of the Browns and Odell Beckham Jr. from 2021. Cleveland ultimately couldn’t find a taker for OBJ, but the wide receiver willingly gave up a significant chunk of his contract to get off the squad. There doesn’t seem to be any indication that Cooks is looking to get out of Houston at any cost, but it sounds like he’d consider reducing his salary to help facilitate a trade.
Cooks spent two seasons with the Rams in 2018 and 2019. He had one of his most productive seasons during his first year in Los Angeles, hauling in 80 receptions for 1,204 yards and five touchdowns. He was limited to only 583 yards in 14 games in 2019, and he was dealt to Houston the following offseason. Since joining the Texans, Cooks has had a pair of 1,000-yard receiving seasons. In six games this year, the veteran has hauled in 28 receptions for 281 yards and one touchdown.
Cooper Kupp leads the way for Rams receivers, but Allen Robinson hasn’t been able to click during his first season in Los Angeles. The Rams will soon welcome back Van Jefferson at the position, but per Florio, the team still wants more speed at WR.
Latest On Giants-Kadarius Toney Split
Kadarius Toney‘s Giants tenure ended after 41 receptions, 420 yards and no touchdowns. The decision to send him to the Chiefs stemmed partially around trust issues, along with the injury-prone player fetching a Day 2 draft choice in Thursday’s deal.
Toney had missed the past five games due to separate hamstring injuries. The talented pass catcher missed time during training camp with a hamstring issue and, after catching two passes for zero yards in the Giants’ first two games, reinjured the same hamstring in September. While rehabbing the second hamstring injury, Toney injured his other hamstring. But he and the Giants had a difference of opinion in how Week 8 would play out.
The Giants preferred to sit Toney against the Seahawks. The second-year receiver, however, per ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan, believed he had recovered. Toney indicated this himself in a since-deleted tweet (via ESPN.com’s Field Yates). Multiple factors influenced the Giants’ plan, according to the New York Post’s Paul Schwartz.
[RELATED: Giants Interested In Broncos’ Jerry Jeudy]
The new Giants regime wanted to keep a trade door open and felt it was more likely than not, given Toney’s injury history, he would damage his trade value if he played in Seattle. An injury designation would also have led to Toney being forced to stay in town during the team’s bye week for rehab purposes, per Schwartz, who adds the Florida product would not have wanted to go through with that plan.
Both the Giants’ current regime and its Dave Gettleman-led front office did not appear to trust Toney. The team’s present staff worried Toney would leave town and not follow through with the necessary steps to play in Week 10, with Schwartz adding conditioning represented a concern. This is not out of step with how the previous regime perceived Toney, who entered the draft with some baggage. The previous Giants staff did not have an issue with Toney when he was at the team’s facility, Raanan tweets, but they did not trust him to put in the work offsite.
Durability and attitude concerns led several teams to take Toney off their draft boards, Schwartz adds. The Giants had eyed DeVonta Smith with their 2021 first-round pick, but the Eagles traded in front of them. New York then traded back to No. 20, allowing Chicago to move up to No. 11 for Justin Fields. Toney became the selection, which irked Urban Meyer, who planned to draft him had he lasted to the Jaguars’ No. 25 pick. Travis Etienne has worked out a bit better.
Between then and the hamstring trouble that cropped up this year, Toney showed electric ability — mostly in two October 2021 games — but battled myriad injury issues. Toney began down a strange path when he did not show for Giants OTAs last year, surprising the team’s previous coaching staff. After missing most of last year’s training camp with hamstring trouble, Toney missed seven games due to ankle, quad, oblique and shoulder ailments. The new Giants regime entertained trade talks this offseason, one in which Toney also underwent arthroscopic knee surgery.
The Chiefs have Toney under contract through 2024; a fifth-year option could extend that deal through 2025. After giving ex-Giants first-rounder DeAndre Baker a second opportunity, the Chiefs will roll the dice on another Gettleman-era top pick. Toney, who clocked a 4.39-second 40-yard dash coming out of Florida, would stand to be a developmental player in Kansas City. After wearing out his welcome with two Giants regimes, it will be interesting how the boom-or-bust talent fares under Andy Reid and Co.
2022 NFL Cap Space, By Team
Days away from this year’s trade deadline (3pm CT, Nov. 1), a few teams have made some in-season moves to bolster their rosters. Several squads have also restructured contracts this season to create additional space. That extra room will matter as most teams will consider adding or subtracting costs before Tuesday’s deadline.
Here is how teams’ cap-space numbers (courtesy of OverTheCap) look ahead of the deadline:
- Cleveland Browns: $33.72MM
- Las Vegas Raiders: $10.35MM
- Carolina Panthers: $9.79MM
- Atlanta Falcons: $9.71MM
- Philadelphia Eagles: $9.47MM
- Denver Broncos: $7.79MM
- Pittsburgh Steelers: $7.69MM
- Indianapolis Colts: $7.23MM
- Dallas Cowboys: $7.16MM
- Chicago Bears: $7.08MM
- Green Bay Packers: $6.6MM
- Miami Dolphins: $6.16MM
- New York Jets: $5.71MM
- Los Angeles Chargers: $4.97MM
- San Francisco 49ers: $4.95MM
- Los Angeles Rams: $4.93MM
- Arizona Cardinals: $4.76MM
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $4.3MM
- Washington Commanders: $4.26MM
- Kansas City Chiefs: $3.86MM
- Seattle Seahawks: $3.71MM
- Jacksonville Jaguars: $3.67MM
- New Orleans Saints: $3.61MM
- Cincinnati Bengals: $3.31MM
- New York Giants: $3.26MM
- Detroit Lions: $3.25MM
- Baltimore Ravens: $3.07MM
- New England Patriots: $2.19MM
- Houston Texans: $2.09MM
- Buffalo Bills: $1.93MM
- Tennessee Titans: $1.59MM
- Minnesota Vikings: $852K
The Browns have held the top spot for months, and the gulf between their cap-space figure and the field almost certainly stems from a desire to carry over cap space before Deshaun Watson‘s cap number spikes from $9.4MM to a runaway-record $54.99MM. Cleveland has recently been linked to creating more cap space. Interest has come in for Greedy Williams, who is in the final year of his rookie contract, and Kareem Hunt. Although the Browns did not grant Hunt’s summer trade request, it may now take only a fourth-round pick for Cleveland to deal its backup running back.
Another potential seller could move up on this list while creating some additional space in 2023. The Broncos are believed to have made Jerry Jeudy available. Unlike fellow trade chip Bradley Chubb, Jeudy is under contract for 2023 (on a $4.83MM cap number). Denver appears more likely to move Chubb. That departure would remove the franchise tag from the team’s equation in 2023 — barring a tag for fellow 2023 UFA-to-be Dre’Mont Jones — thus freeing up more free agency funds. It will be interesting if the Broncos, if they are to move Chubb, agree to eat much of his fifth-year option salary. George Paton‘s club took on most of Von Miller‘s 2021 money to increase draft compensation.
The Eagles are still near the top despite acquiring Robert Quinn. Philadelphia is paying just $684K of Quinn’s contract, which now runs through 2022 instead of 2024. Chicago is on the hook for $7.1MM. The Bears are on track to have a gargantuan lead on the field for 2023 cap space. They are projected to hold more than $125MM next year, according to OverTheCap.
New Chiefs wide receiver Kadarius Toney checks in at just $784K on their 2022 cap sheet. The former Giants first-rounder’s figures bump to $1.9MM (2023) and $2.53MM (’24). Kansas City recently restructured Travis Kelce‘s deal, creating some wiggle room for the Toney addition. The Chiefs, who did not touch Patrick Mahomes‘ deal this year, restructured Kelce’s contract twice in 2022. Thursday’s trade hit the Giants with a $2.33MM dead-money charge. Toney will count $3.67MM in dead money for the Giants in 2023.
The Panthers picked up nearly $19MM in 2022 dead money via the Robbie Anderson and Christian McCaffrey trades. Unlike the Eagles and Bears, last week’s Panthers-49ers McCaffrey swap did not involve Carolina taking on additional salary. McCaffrey’s offseason restructure dropped his 2022 base salary to the league minimum; the 49ers have him on their books at just $690K. McCaffrey’s record-setting extension will still represent $18.35MM in dead money on the Panthers’ 2023 cap, but his nonguaranteed base salaries from 2023-25 ($11.8MM, $11.8MM, $12MM) transferred fully from Carolina to San Francisco.
On the subject of 2022 dead money, the Bears lead the way with $80.32MM. The Falcons added to their total this month, however, by trading Deion Jones to the Browns. That deal saddled the Falcons with $11.38MM in additional dead money — accompanying the franchise’s record-setting Matt Ryan dead-money hit ($40.53MM) — and ballooned Atlanta’s overall total to $78.57MM. Ryan is off the Falcons’ books after this year, but Jones will carry a $12.14MM dead-money figure in 2023.