The Falcons spent their week making significant cuts to the roster, though there were but three. In the process, they cleared out a four-year rotational defensive end at the thinnest position on the roster, a six-year player and five-year starter at cornerback, and the best and most beloved kicker in Falcons history. The savings were nothing to sneeze at—close to $15 million, by my math—but they removed quality players and teammates from a roster that’s clearly re-tooling.
The Falcons are looking simultaneously to their present and their future with these moves. They need the money to lock up Grady Jarrett and take care of Julio Jones and add quality players to a roster that stagnated in 2018, especially along the trenches.