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As you practice social distancing, Monday’s Falcoholinks arrive to cut through some of the boredom. Read on for all the Falcons news and notes from over the weekend.
COVID-19 update
This is a pretty unsettling time. Life has certainly changed in short order to halt the spread of COVID-19, with major sports leagues postponing or canceling events outright. The NFL has canceled its annual meeting, and many teams — in cluding the Falcons — have shut down their training facility and grounded all employees from travel.
No word yet on the status of the 2020 NFL Draft in April, but it’s entirely possible that it’s moved to a later date on the calendar.
Owner Arthur Blank announced that he would continue paying all hourly employees during COVID-19 shutdowns, which is fantastic news for the men and women who work tirelessly to ensure a top-shelf game day experience.
Even with the operational changes in the NFL, it still continues to do its work. A new CBA was narrowly agreed to yesterday, clearing one road block prior to the season’s start. The league also announced the new salary cap figure for 2020.
Roster moves
The Falcons signed fullback Keith Smith to a new three-year deal on Saturday, locking up another member of their existing roster. With the recent signings of Younghoe Koo and Steven Means, the team has made it a priority to take care of the edges of their roster, but with the cap situation being what it is, there’s no telling what kind of splash they can make in free agency.
They also locked in run-stopping defensive tackle Tyeler Davison for the next three years.
The #Falcons have agreed to terms with DT Tyeler Davison on a three-year extension. Davison was one of the bright spots on the defense last season, helping Atlanta finish with the 12th-best run defense against carries up the middle. https://t.co/lRW3P4BIUc
— William McFadden (@willmcfadden) March 15, 2020
One looming decision that has to be made is if the Falcons decide to roll with Alex Mack at center next season. They’d be in line for $8 million in cap savings should they elect to move on, but there aren’t any in-house replacements at the position that inspire much confidence.
Scouting reports
The Falcons will be looking to add to their defense in the 2020 NFL Draft, and this week we took a look at South Carolina defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw and small school phenom safety Kyle Duggar.