Salary cap hell is not a warm place, despite what the name might suggest. It’s a cold and barren kind of desert – bereft of hope, joy and anything green, particularly money. While it’s still relatively early in the offseason and the Atlanta Falcons are not quite there just yet, things are starting to feel pretty chilly from a cap room perspective.
Earlier this week the team slapped the franchise tag on defensive tackle Grady Jarrett. Unless they can negotiate a long-term deal before the middle of July, he’ll earn $15.209 million in 2019, making him the second-highest paid player on the team behind quarterback Matt Ryan.
Lowering that cap hit by signing Jarrett to a long-term extension is still a priority, but even if they can’t, at least he can be counted on to produce. Jarrett is by far the team’s best defensive lineman and an irreplaceable contributor. Painful as paying Jarrett that much might be, it’s better than seeing him sign with another team.
There are at least four other cap numbers that collectively represent a greater obstacle for Atlanta this year. Let’s break them down. All salary info is courtesy of Over the Cap.
CB Desmond Trufant – 2019 cap number: $13.9 million
The problem: Like everyone else on this list, Trufant had a tough 2018 season. What sets him apart is that he actually has high expectations. The Falcons are paying Trufant like a top-10 cornerback in the NFL, but they’re not getting that kind of return. At this point, it’s clear Trufant is never going to be an interception machine, and that’s fine. He does need to play much better coverage than he did last season, though. If his slump continues into 2019, Trufant’s contract may qualify as the worst on the team.
The solution: Cutting or trading Trufant is both unrealistic and unwise. Atlanta simply needs him to play at a higher level in order to continue justify paying him this much. Getting safeties Ricardo Allen and Keanu Neal back on the field should help.
DE Vic Beasley – 2019 cap number: $12.81 million
The problem: Trufant and the other cornerbacks may have had a bad season, but Beasley has been under-performing ever since the Falcons lost the Super Bowl. Since he led the NFL in sacks in 2016, he’s only posted 10 total. Beasley has also stopped forcing turnovers, with just one forced fumble over the last two years. Worst of all, his run defense has become outright abominable at times. The occasional flashes he has shown just underscore how frustrating it’s been to see a former first-round pick with so much potential regress like this.
The solution: Atlanta was reported to have gotten multiple trade offers for Beasley around the deadline in October. The Falcons should have taken up one of them then and they should be looking to shop him now. Beasley could still thrive for another team, but it’s time to punt on this experiment and see what he could net in a trade.
RT Ryan Schraeder – 2019 cap number: $7.75 million
The problem: Pass protection at right tackle was a serious problem for Atlanta last season and played a big part in Matt Ryan taking 42 sacks. After years of solid play, Schraeder regressed to being one of the league’s worst starters at offensive tackle. Pro Football Focus ranked him No. 54 at the position for the year.
The solution: In an ideal world, Schraeder could bounce back in 2019 and get back to the form he showed from 2015-2017. Given his age (30 years old), history says that’s unlikely to happen. The best thing for the Falcons to do is cut him after June 1, which would save the team over $6 million for each of the next three years.
G Brandon Fusco – 2019 cap number: $4.79 million
The problem: Right guard wasn’t any better than right tackle in 2018. Fusco was supposed to stabilize the spot after an awful year from Wes Schweitzer in 2017, but it didn’t work out. He was the first of several players to try their hand at the position and they all disappointed. Fusco put seven mediocre games on film before he suffered a season-ending ankle injury.
The solution: Like Schraeder, cutting Fusco and drafting someone younger and cheaper is not a terrible idea. However, the team doesn’t have much interior offensive line depth. If he’s willing to renegotiate and take a pay cut, Fusco is worth keeping around as a potential swing guard backing up the starters.
