Falcons get biggest bang for their playoff buck

"The team is in a very good place," Blank said after practice Wednesday. "We continue to support our football department with resources the very best that we can. We are not in the top quarter of teams in terms of revenue in the NFL."

Increasing the team's revenue is part of the impetus behind the push for a new outdoor stadium. Teams such as Dallas, New England and Washington have ancillary revenues that allow them to spend more freely in free agency.

"We are working towards a new stadium eventually, and that will help us," Blank said. "But we do what we can, which is obviously very competitive. "

In the other NFC divisional game, Seattle has a team salary of $140.9 million and Chicago $134.6 million. Seattle had a substantially higher level of player turnover this season under first-year coach Pete Carroll, and that pushed down their average player salary.

In the AFC, the New York Jets have the highest player payroll, at $138.4 million. New England is second at $133.5 million followed by Baltimore at $126.8 million and Pittsburgh at $126.3 million.

Tampa Bay was the lowest spending team in the NFL this season, at $83.2 million, followed by Jacksonville's $96 million.

Because of labor strife, 2010 was considered an uncapped year under the league's collective bargaining agreement. But Blank cites the league's salary structure for a reason why the Falcons can compete economically.

"The salary cap is very competitive with everybody," Blank said. "It's one of the strengths of the NFL in that because of the salary-cap system, you have an opportunity to compete whether you are a low-revenue team or a high-revenue team. It gives you an opportunity to compete whether or not you have the resources."

Blank believes the league will avoid a lockout in time to play the 2011 season.

"As [NFL commissioner] Roger [Goodell] has said publicly more than once, we are committed to playing football in 2011," Blank said. "We are doing everything that we know how to do. We are prepared to work 24/7 with the union to do that. So, I'm optimistic that we'll have a season in 2011."

Green Bay players each won an additional $19,000 with their victory over Philadelphia in the wild-card round. Seattle, because they won the NFC West, received $21,000 for their victory over the New Orleans Saints.

Players receive $21,000 for wins in divisional playoff games and $38,000 for the conference championship game.

The players on the winning Super Bowl team receive $83,000, and the losing team receives $42,000.

A player on a division winner participating in the wild-card round and winning the Super Bowl will receive a total of $163,000.

A player on a wild-card team that wins the Super Bowl will receive a total of $161,000.

"What motivates us is winning a Super Bowl ring," Falcons wide receiver Roddy White said. "Playoff money is just extra incentive. Guys just usually spend it on vacation in the offseason. Our goal is to get to [Arlington, Texas], win it all and get us a ring."