Nobody ever claimed that salary cap hell was a fun place to be and the Atlanta Falcons are right in the middle of it. According to a report by Adam Schefter at ESPN, the division rival Carolina Panthers have signed defensive end Bruce Irvin to a one-year deal.
This marks the second year in a row that Carolina has stolen away a productive defensive line player from the Falcons. While Dontari Poe did not have a huge 2018 season for the Panthers, his presence was still missed in Atlanta. The Falcons might experience a similar pain with Irvin moving on. According to Vaughn McClure at ESPN, the team didn’t even make him an offer.
On the bright side, while their salary cap situation remains highly problematic, the real number is closer to $11.3 million if you include Ryan Schraeder’s cap relief to come.
The Falcons also still have plenty of options if they are interested in signing an edge in free agency. It’s the strongest position in this class by far, even after a week of signings. Adrian Clayborn, Justin Houston, Ziggy Ansah, Nick Perry, Vinny Curry and Shane Ray are all still available, just to name a few.
