The Atlanta Falcons have everything in place to sway top free agent Justin Simmons from other interested teams like the New Orleans Saints. They have the offensive infrastructure, the elite running mate in safety Jessie Bates, and a Super-Bowl caliber defensive mind in head coach Raheem Morris.
There's only one problem...they don't have any money.
According to Over The Cap, as of 8:51 p.m. EST, Atlanta is dead last in cap space with a little over $3.5 million available. To sign Simmons, even this late in free agency, will take at least, in my estimation, $8-$12 million...How are the Falcons going to open up that kind of cap space?
So I asked Tre'Shon, Hunter & Kenny for one move they could see Atlanta pull off to help them get enough under the cap to make this pipe dream of a Simmons-Bates safety tandem a reality.
Hunter Thompson - Restructuring Jake Matthews
Cap Savings: $9.5 million
The Falcons need cash. There’s a few routes to do it, but why not restructure the vet in the room. Matthews has been a Falcon for a decade now and doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. He’s an established vet who has had a PFF grade of 70+ for the last 9 seasons.
If the Falcons were to restructure the Texas A&M product and veteran of the team, it would produce around $9.5 million of cap space to toy around with. (Per OTC)
It’s not the flashiest move, and some might even say it’s a dangerous move. But Jake is an iron man on this offensive line and looks to be like a Honda Civic that just keeps running as it gets older and more miles on those tires.
Plus, who doesn’t like $14 million of cap space?
Tre’shon Diaz: Restructure Kaden Elliss
Cap Savings: $1.88 million
This move is all about protecting the current season without damaging the future. Yes, it would be great for the Falcons to be able to sign Simmons and someone else, but by no means should the team put themselves in financial trouble in 2025 and beyond to do so. The Falcons are still less than five years removed from their historic dead cap, and they don’t want to begin accumulating it again.
Thanks to his efforts last season, Kaden Elliss has earned an early payday. The Falcons swiss army linebacker will be an important peice of the defesnse for the life of his contract and his 2025 cap hit of $8.5M means kicking this can down the road would have negligible effects on the teams future financial health. Is this enough to sign Simmons outright? Unlikely, but if paired with another financially responsible move the Falcons could strategically dig themselves out of this financial hole.
Kenny: Restructure Jessie Bates
Cap Savings: $7.9 million
This appears to be an easy decision from my vantage point. Bates has only played one season in Atlanta, but he’s already proven himself as one of the key players on the roster. He is only 27 years old and with three years left on his deal, there’s little reason to believe his play will drop off during that tenure.
Restructuring Jessie Bates’s contract could free up to $7,916,667 according to Over the Cap. That’d leave Terry Fontenot with just shy of $11.5 million dollars in cap space to work with. Ample space to sign a free agent (Justin Simmons anyone?) or make a trade to give the Falcons a little more juice heading into the season.
Saivion: Extend A.J. Terrell
Cap Savings: $8.975 million
Everybody else got creative, so I went ahead with the obvious choice.
Extend A.J. Terrell, there's no reason not to.
He's one of the more physical, scheme-versatile cornerbacks in the NFL, and honestly, he's one of the only talents on the defensive side of the ball that can be relied upon game after game. If Terrell isn't in Atlanta, your number-one corner becomes either Clark Phillips III, Mike Hughes or Kevin King. Not necessarily the most optimistic of options to trot out against players like Mike Evans, George Pickens and Ceedee Lamb.
Give Terrell the money he deserves, help build up this secondary and let's start confusing some offenses so that this team can make the run to the playoffs this organization so desperately need.
