The Falcons' Salary Cap Situation: Who Ya Want?!
by Dave the Falconer on Jan 20, 2009 8:00 AM EST
in Editorial
45 comments
A hat tip to ESPN's Pat Yasinskas, who tells us that the Falcons are an estimated $20.8 million under the cap. That's not money to sneeze at, even if you have a peculiar allergy to dollar bills.
Still, the odd nature of the Michael Vick situation and a plethora of in-house free agents means the Falcons may not start running around and flinging money at people in uniforms.More than likely, we'll see more signings in the Von Hutchins mold than the Michael Turner model.
Let's assume, though, that all of that $20 million was yours to spend on the team. By the time that money was thoroughly used up, who would the new faces be? This is less about the team's draft adventures than it is about free agency and perhaps even expensive trades, so go nuts. Maybe one or two of the moves the Falcons actually make will give you the look of a soothsayer.
Go for it!
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Terrell Suggs
Throw some money at Terrell Suggs
by cousinwalter on Jan 20, 2009 8:03 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
I like
You’d have to think he’s ready to get out of Baltimore. He was ticked when they slapped a franchise tag on him last year (they tagged him as a LB, not a DE, which took 800K out of his pocket).
"He's getting better, but he's not there yet ..."
- Bobby Cox (talking about Boyer)
by FrankyWren on Jan 20, 2009 10:42 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Agreed!
I think he is past his face-stomping days. Can you imagine an interior rotation of Babs/Haynesworth/Anderson/Lewis w/ the better of Moorehead and Jefferson? I like that. Especially if we sign or draft another DE.
"He's getting better, but he's not there yet ..."
- Bobby Cox (talking about Boyer)
by FrankyWren on Jan 20, 2009 10:39 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Haynesworth
Attitude issues aside, he’s clearly one of the most talented interior guys in the league. If we could get him without breaking the bank, I think we have to look at it.
by Dave the Falconer on Jan 20, 2009 12:34 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Suggs/Haynesworth/Asomugha/Gross/Dominic Rhodes or Rudi Johnson or LaMont Jordan
Suggs: That’d be a pickup w/ moxy. Plus, he might be ready to go (see comment above).
Haynesworth: We could draft a DT, but even the best DT in the draft last year (I think his name was Glenn) didn’t have a huge impact. Big Al will come in and instantly upgrade of run defense.
Aomugha: Jackson and Houston are the future. Foxworth is a great option, but what happens if he goes down? Come on Comrade … get us a security blanket.
Jordan Gross: RT problem solved.
Rhodes/Johnson/Jordan: Sign one of ‘em. I don’t like Snelling as our “next best” option when we can’t use Turner to pound the ball. All these guys are proven vets and they should come at a discount.
"He's getting better, but he's not there yet ..."
- Bobby Cox (talking about Boyer)
by FrankyWren on Jan 20, 2009 10:50 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
Asomugha will command a salary we simply can use especially when we have capable corners, he wil go to a team that will spend the money because they have no decent corners at all.
Rhodes, Johnson and Jordan are all proven vets yes, proven to be pretty poor players. Snelling is a very good player and when he gets in he always impresses, id be more than happy if he saw more action.
go hard or go home
by TO falcon on Jan 20, 2009 11:24 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Agree to disagree
I don’t mean to hate on Jackson and Houston. 2 years from now, they’ll be an intimidating and capable duo. But I’m concerned w/ our ability to compete next season. You may be right about him having too high a price tag … I see a Von Hutchinsesque signing in the Falcons future. Blah.
Snelling is NOT BAD. But that’s just it … he’s nothing exceptional. When he gets in, he impresses? How many carries did the guy have last season? Limited sample size, I say … Turner cannot stand another 350-400 carries next year, and Norwood is a scat back, never going to pound the ball. Thomas Brown might be the solution, but Snelling is absolutely not.
"He's getting better, but he's not there yet ..."
- Bobby Cox (talking about Boyer)
by FrankyWren on Jan 20, 2009 12:06 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I'm still a Snelling fan
I know sample size applies, but as a third back he’s got good size and enough power to handle mop-up duties in most games. I like Thomas Brown, but let’s see how he looks coming back from injury before we hand him a job over Snelling.
by Dave the Falconer on Jan 20, 2009 12:31 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Agreed
… and forgive me if I’m going too far out on a limb here, but maybe we need to carry 4 RBs.
If T Brown can assume punting/kick off duties (remember: he was in the mix for taking Adam Jennings’ job before the season started), and assuming we don’t pick up another RB via the draft or free agency, then keep both Brown and Snelling.
I love Norwood, and I hope he doesn’t go anywhere anytime soon, but he’s not an alternative to Turner, he’s something entirely different than Turner (see: scat back who will never run 25 times in a game).
Snelling is workable, but he’s like a poor-man’s Turner w/ Corey Dillon’s speed (circa 2008).
"He's getting better, but he's not there yet ..."
- Bobby Cox (talking about Boyer)
by FrankyWren on Jan 20, 2009 12:45 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I wouldn't mind carrying four backs
I think Brown needs to be in the mix for return duties. Even though I love Harry Douglas, he wasn’t lights out there last season, and we need to give other guys the chance.
If Brown returns healthy, there’s a good chance he’s going to be in line for a roster spot.
by Dave the Falconer on Jan 20, 2009 12:54 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
FrankyWren
You said Foxworth is a great option, but what happens if he goes down. What happens if any player goes down and this happens more lately, ask the Patriots. I have always thought the best man should have the job and sometimes it the least likely person sitting in the background.
Debilah
by Debilah on Jan 22, 2009 2:50 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
OK
But that applies a little less w/ DBs … don’t you think? I mean, when an offensive linemen goes down, the rest of the unit is still there. If Foxworth goes down when we play Dallas next year (assuming T.O. is still there), we’ll have Jackson and Houston covering Owens and Williams. Scary thought IMO.
"He's getting better, but he's not there yet ..."
- Bobby Cox (talking about Boyer)
by FrankyWren on Jan 22, 2009 8:06 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I’m going to assume that you know that Foxworth and Houston will be the starters and then Jackson, did you forget there will be new people coming in and also they have the following that will be fighting for a position on the DEPTH CHART: Foxworth, Grimes, Houston, Hutchins, Irons, Jackson, Sharpe and I don’t know who Vinnett is, but you never know from one day to the next who will be on any team, even with Coaches. So let’s keep our fingers crossed that they keep the best.
by Debilah on Jan 23, 2009 9:21 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Yes
I understand that Foxworth and Houston will be the starters.
My point is that Foxworth/Houston will have a hard time covering some of the elite receivers in the league for another couple of years. Foxworth is great, but I’d personally like to see us bring in another “insurance policy,” so to speak.
"He's getting better, but he's not there yet ..."
- Bobby Cox (talking about Boyer)
by FrankyWren on Jan 23, 2009 9:55 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Sorry ...
I meant that Houston and Jackson will have a hard time.
"He's getting better, but he's not there yet ..."
- Bobby Cox (talking about Boyer)
by FrankyWren on Jan 23, 2009 9:55 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Moreover
We don’t know that Hutchins will stay healthy. Grimes is an athletic freak of nature, but his coverage skills are lacking. Sharpe and Vinnett spent the season on the practice squad (although I think Sharpe eventually made it up).
I understand we shouldn’t waste money. But as Dave pointed out, we might have a good deal of cap space, depending on how the Vick situation shakes out.
We certainly have priorities. Get us a run-blocking DT, some depth on the OL, a pash rushing LB, Milloy’s replacement … But if at the end of the day, we still have money to spend, it wouldn’t hurt to bring in a veteran corner.
"He's getting better, but he's not there yet ..."
- Bobby Cox (talking about Boyer)
by FrankyWren on Jan 23, 2009 10:00 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Again, we don’t know if any player is going to stay healthy. What do you mean by athletic freak of nature? How long have you been following Grimes? What we need is defensive tackles. If you bring in a veteran corner, wouldn’t he have to be older and even more susceptible to injuries. Ask Deion about injuries? I think if you’re building start younger/fresh. Didn’t Matt Ryan work out for us. Give the young guys at least a season. Have a nice one.
by Debilah on Jan 23, 2009 3:52 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
OK
We might not be able to agree about this, which is totally fine, as that is the point of this site.
Hutchins was on IR all year last year (I think), so he’s a question mark IMO.
Grimes is ridiculously athletic, especially for his size. Not sure if you disagree w/ that contention …
Not all veterans are susceptible to injury. If the money is still there (AFTER we get a reliable DT, a pass-rushing DE, replacements for Brooking/Milloy), I believe we should consider bringing in another veteran corner.
I never meant to knock on what we have … I just feel like could benefit from bringing in some additional talent.
"He's getting better, but he's not there yet ..."
- Bobby Cox (talking about Boyer)
by FrankyWren on Jan 23, 2009 4:00 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Hmmm
Additional talent…Yes
At corner….No.
If were getting a corner Houston or Foxworth has to go.An additional corner would only serve to take plays away from Chevis Jackson and hinder our young corner’s growth.
On onto ben grimes….After week 1 I lost all sort of confidence in him.Calvin Johnson and Roy Williams TORCHED him EVERY ROUTE they ran not counting them going to the sidelines…“Athletic”….I’d have to hear your definition on the word to understand where your coming from because coverage wise he is the worst corner on our team…practice squad included imo.
Veterans are susceptible to injury.Jason Taylor,Brett Favre, Samari rolle, Albert Haynesworth…..wait this would be a long list if I typed ALL the vets who were injured at some point in the season.
Reliable DT…Meet Bertrand Berry.
by LA26 on Jan 23, 2009 4:26 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Is a freak. Dude has like a 40 inch vertical. Plus, there was some story during training camp last year about him doing a front flip over a training cart or something. So that’s what I’m going off. Not at all getting at his talent. Just his athleticism.
So … you’re opposed to getting another corner. But … consider this: what happens if we play Arizona in the playoffs again next year? You feel good about Foxworth/Houston covering Boldin/Fitzgerald? That’s my thinking. Now maybe I’m off. Maybe Foxworth/Houston would play their asses off and we’d be fine.
This is really not my first priority. I’m just saying if there’s money left over, there’s no harm in bringing in another vet, especially if Hutchins isn’t good to go. But that’s just my opinion. Not saying Jackson won’t be great, not saying Houston isn’t getting better, and absolutely not saying that Foxworth isn’t an asset.
"He's getting better, but he's not there yet ..."
- Bobby Cox (talking about Boyer)
by FrankyWren on Jan 23, 2009 7:30 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
You say after week 1 you lost all sort of confidence in him, I will ask you how many games in the NFL have you played, you must be a hater and I wonder why, you made this statement after one game. I know he is small, but he plays big and was doing a great job. I wander if your confidence is really what matters. You have a great day.
by Debilah on Jan 26, 2009 10:19 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Hmm
Rhodes/Johnson/Jordan: Sign one of ‘em. I don’t like Snelling as our "next best" option when we can’t use Turner to pound the ball. All these guys are proven vets and they should come at a discount
Didn’t think of this before, but I like your thinking here.
In a way, each of us has an El Guapo to face.
by runningback on Jan 24, 2009 8:27 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Haynesworth
has too much baggage. He ripped his entire team after that playoff loss. Not the kind of player i want here.
Aso, will 9\10 be franchised, so he’d cost a draft pick(s) and big contracts and id rather not handicap ourselves in the draft\cap.
Suggs would be interesting, but i question his ability to play with his hand on the ground. He sure got after Big Ben though. I see the ravens resigning him and Ray Ray.
Don’t forget we will have Thomas Brown (who looked geat in preseason before the injury).
Gross sounds like a great option if Carolina lets him walk, but if Peppers throws a hissy fit about leaving, then they will have room for Gross more than likely.
" No, I think I'll sit in the balcony " - Abe Lincoln
by tapate50 on Jan 20, 2009 11:25 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
I do have one name from rotoworld
that i will shamelessly plug for the falcons. SS of the Ravens Jim Leonhard. He played outstanding in the Championship game… is a FA and the Ravens have lots of guys to resign, so he could fly under the radar on the FO’S back burner…
" No, I think I'll sit in the balcony " - Abe Lincoln
by tapate50 on Jan 20, 2009 11:31 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
Agreed on Leonhard
That guy can fly. He’s like a white Polamalu.
"He's getting better, but he's not there yet ..."
- Bobby Cox (talking about Boyer)
by FrankyWren on Jan 20, 2009 11:54 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
AGREED
We need a ball hawking SS
"If the Falcons ever manage to win a Super Bowl in my lifetime, I'll french kiss a toilet." - a friend.
by tlozwarlock on Jan 20, 2009 12:14 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I've always liked Leonhard
And he looks like he’s busting out this year. With the Ravens clearly concentrating on re-signing their linebacking corps, I think we could pounce on their safety and carry him away for a reasonable amount of money.
by Dave the Falconer on Jan 20, 2009 12:33 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah
… or just lock him up and threaten him w/ bodily injury if he won’t play for the league minimum. Just an idea.
"He's getting better, but he's not there yet ..."
- Bobby Cox (talking about Boyer)
by FrankyWren on Jan 20, 2009 12:46 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Names
Terell Suggs
Julius Peppers
Bertrand Berry
Ray Lewis (Assuming I released Brooking & Milloy)
Draft Picks
Pace(DT) from BC
Brandon Pettigrew(TE) from OK. St.
Trade first round pick to Det. for there next years 1 rounder.
Couldn’t resist the whole off-season.
by LA26 on Jan 21, 2009 3:38 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
BC's DTs
Would you rather have Pace or Raji and why? I really liked what I saw out of Raji this season, but never really paid much attention to Pace. Do you know more about either of them?
by SG Standard on Jan 21, 2009 10:11 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
BC's DTs
Sorry I had his last name spelled incorrectly…it’s Brace.
But Brace can collapse a pocket from snap while in my opinion while Raji relies much more on technique.Thing about Raji is technique wise Raji isn’t even the best DT in the draft….the kid outta Penn St. is he’s just undersized for the position.
I also feel as if some of Raji’s success is due to having Brace on the line with him.
by LA26 on Jan 22, 2009 8:14 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Thanks
No worries on the name mix up. Like I said, I never really paid much attention to him. Raji really overshadowed him the times I saw them. From what I’ve been hearing, Raji might not even be there by the time the Falcons pick.
by SG Standard on Jan 22, 2009 2:07 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
BC's DTs
Very true.I didn’t catch Mel’s first Mock but a few of the blogger ones I’ve been reading has Raji going to the Redskins(12th. pick i believe).
Pettigrew is going early as well.Buffalo seems to be where he’s headed.(10th. or 11th. pick)
We’d need to trade up get Pettigrew who in my mind is the best TE in the draft since Winslow came out.Greisham will be out next year so the falcons can sort of decide now who they want to make a play more.I’d pick Pettigrew because he’s the better blocker.
by LA26 on Jan 22, 2009 2:34 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I'm totally w/ you on trading up
Especially if it’s to get Pettigrew. I wonder if they’d wait until draft day to pull the trigger on that though …
"He's getting better, but he's not there yet ..."
- Bobby Cox (talking about Boyer)
by FrankyWren on Jan 22, 2009 8:07 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I LIKE
But …
Pettigrew will go before we get to pick.
"He's getting better, but he's not there yet ..."
- Bobby Cox (talking about Boyer)
by FrankyWren on Jan 22, 2009 1:53 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
From what ive read at the Senior Bowl
Raji is maybe the most dominant player there… and fwiw, i think we need size up front as well. We have Trey Lewis up there too, but i want someone bigger…
" No, I think I'll sit in the balcony " - Abe Lincoln
by tapate50 on Jan 22, 2009 9:07 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
New Idea!
Was sitting at my desk attempting to avoid work when it hit me.
Trade our 2nd. & 5th. rd pick for Martellus Bennett.Anyone who’s seen him play can agree that the kid has talent.I’m not sure about how good he is on run blocking but I think he’s an avenue we could explore and exploit the need for the Cowboys to need to re-tool there aged secondary.
by LA26 on Jan 22, 2009 4:21 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
A guy like Peppers would be a cool
Compliment to Abraham. I read he wants to play in a 3-4 defense though. Any other pass rushing beasts on the market?
"When I played pro football, I never set out to hurt anyone deliberately - unless it was, you know, important, like a league game or something"
-Dick Butkus
by zooker on Jan 23, 2009 2:18 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
I really really like Pettigrew
whatever it takes – I’d love to see the Falcons trade up for this guy
Peppers/Abraham combo would be lethal – that is the ideal establishment in my eyes. I know that Peppers has a lot of “personality issues” but I think that Mike Smith has the uncanny ability to turn anyone into a “team player” regardless of their background or history.
by MentallyMIA on Jan 25, 2009 12:35 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
Wow!
I’m surprised JULIUS PEPPERS’ name isn’t plastered all over these comments.
Karlos Dansby is still young and getting better with great size and he is all over the field, also a big part of Arizona being in the Super Bowl…also good in both pass coverage and stopping the run.
Sean Jones is quietly putting together a great career in Cleveland and he would be a great fit in our defense at SS.
Jordan Gross would help our offensive line get younger as well as upgrade it.
Suggs and Haynesworth were already mentioned but i just don’t see them being as good of fits on our team as the ones i listed, but i certainly wouldn’t object to bringing in any quality players.
by jdawg706 on Jan 26, 2009 10:51 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Some great conversation going in this thread
Personally, I’m looking Pettigrew/Raji/best OL available in the first round. I like guys like Sean Jones of the Browns and I think we must pick up at least one competent DT in free agency. It may be our single greatest position of need.
We’ll keep this kind of talking going all off-season long, so stick around.
by Dave the Falconer on Jan 27, 2009 1:07 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
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