The Falcons now have an additional $3.5 million in cap space

Levine Toilolo was a perfectly fine player for the Atlanta Falcons, but chances are good you haven’t given him much thought since the Falcons cut ties with him earlier this year. The team has multiple tight ends, after all, and they just signed a new one yesterday.

But here’s a reason to think about Levine Toilolo again: The fact that Atlanta designated him as a post-June 1 cut means that as of today, the Falcons have added about $3.5 million in new cap space. That takes them from roughly $5 million in space (not including their new Yale tight end) to about $8.5 million. If they wanted to sign, say, a veteran safety, they’d now theoretically be able to do so.

Chances are good that the Falcons will instead use that money to work on extensions for the likes of Grady Jarrett, Jake Matthews (whose extension might actually save more money this year), Ricardo Allen and maybe even Julio Jones. Keeping the core of this talented roster together remains critically important, so I’m fine if the Falcons don’t chase any shiny toys. They could still shore up the tackle position or nab a reserve safety and I’d consider it a prudent move, but let’s get those contracts done first, eh?

At the very least, the Falcons have a little flexibility in case injury strikes or they determine that a position like defensive end isn’t quite as strong and deep as they’d hoped, to name two frightening possibilities.

So thanks for the cap space, Levine Toilolo. May your time with the Lions go well.