The Atlanta Falcons had some modest changes to their roster after losing longtime quarterback Matt Ryan.
They signed Marcus Mariota as his replacement and traded for wide receiver Bryan Edwards.
The former Los Angeles Raider will join Olamide Zaccheaus and rookie Drake London in their receiving corps.
Those additions signify that do-all athlete Cordarrelle Patterson might concentrate on running back.
Despite those transactions, it’s difficult to see the Falcons hurdling the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints in the NFC South.
Also on their 2022 schedule are the Los Angeles Rams, Cincinnati Bengals, Los Angeles Chargers, San Francisco 49ers, Baltimore Ravens, and Arizona Cardinals.
That roster of opponents could signify that the Falcons are headed for another losing season.
While their paths to victory are bleak, they are also cap-strapped because of paying players that are not with the team anymore.
the Falcons are spending $56M in dead cap so that Matt Ryan and Julio Jones don't play for them
that's 27% of the Falcons 2022 salary cap
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) May 17, 2022
NBC Sports’ Warren Sharp tweeted, “The Falcons are spending $56M in dead cap so that Matt Ryan and Julio Jones don’t play for them. That’s 27% of the Falcons 2022 salary cap.”
One-fourth of the cap dedicated to non-Falcons is massive.
Ryan still counts for $40.5 million against the team’s cap while Jones is at $15.5 million.
They could have signed two or three players with that amount to cover multiple positions of need.
A Year Of Absorbing The Cap Crunch
As a consolation, the dead cap for Ryan and Jones will only last for the 2022 season.
Come 2023, the Falcons can use their entire salary cap which could go up to around $225 million.
So far, Atlanta has committed $183.3 million of their 2023 cap to player salaries.
However, some contract restructuring will help them create more room to sign marquee names and highly-touted draft picks.
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