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As of last night, the Atlanta Falcons had almost $32 million in cap space. That figure included Matt Bryant's new deal. And then came Bloody Friday [insert dramatic mood music].
Earlier today, the Falcons cut veteran guard Justin Blalock and famed wearer of women's deodorant, Harry Douglas. Both cuts stung a bit, tugging at the proverbial heart strings. But this is a business, and while we appreciate the contributions each man made to the franchise, it was time to move on. With Blalock and Douglas off the books, the Falcons' cap number is now north of $34 million.
The Blalock cut was necessary because of the impending conversion to a zone blocking scheme, a move incongruous with Blalock's large frame and poor run blocking. Douglas just wasn't worth his cap number. For those of you upset about the decision to cut him, bear in mind the agent's responsibility. It was a back-loaded deal unlikely to parallel Douglas' true value - it was basically setting him up to be cut.
Factoring in Jackson's release and Friday's release of receiver Harry Douglasand guard Justin Blalock -- moves that saved another $7.29 million against the cap -- that would take the number to $34,203,843, which is a good amount of room for a team in dire need of an impact pass-rushers, a solid receiver or even pass-catching tight end, not to mention help at linebacker, defensive backs and perhaps even running back.
If this doesn't get you excited for free agency, then you're either dead or a drunk squirrel. I'm not fond of either possibility. Your thoughts?
UPDATE: The Falcons just cut Jonathan Massaquoi. His cap hit in $2015 was $660,000, but the Falcons will be on the hook for about $42K in dead money, given his prorated signing bonus. It's a likely cap savings of just over $600K, leaving the Falcons with almost $35 million in cap space. Make. It. Rain.