The Falcons, after being eliminated from the playoffs, have some important personnel decisions to make before free agency begins in March.
The NFL salary cap has been projected to be between $174 million and $178 million, according to NFL Media. The official number will not be known until the start of the new business year in March.
Last season’s salary cap was $167 million. The Falcons are in the bottom third of the league and are projected to have $18 million in available salary cap space.
The 49ers, Browns, Jets and Colts are projected to have more than $80 million in salary cap space can could drive up the market for players that the Falcons want to retain.
The Falcons must decide if they want to re-sign defensive tackle Dontari Poe, defensive end Adrian Clayborn and kicker Matt Bryant.
Poe played last season on a incentive-laden contract, which had a base salary of $8 million dollars. He bet on himself and had a solid season. He played 868 defensive snaps, the second highest on the team behind Grady Jarrett’s 870. He also played eight snaps on offense.
Poe was the seventh-highest paid defensive tackle in the league. The Dolphins’ Ndamukong Suh is slated to be the highest paid defensive tackle in the league at $16.9 million next season.
Clayborn led the team in sacks with 10.5. He played 576 snaps, the third-highest total along the defensive line. He had the 21st highest base salary of defensive ends in the league. Brooks Reed was 17th with a base salary of $4.1 million.
Bryant will turn 43 on May 29, but showed no signs of slowing down. He was the Falcons key offensive weapon last season and the reason they reached the playoffs and won a game on the road. He made nine field goals in the two playoff games.
Bryant was the 11th-highest paid kicker in the league last season at $1.45 million. The Panthers’ Graham Gano and the Cowboys’ Dan Bailey were the top-paid kickers at $3.2 million last season.
In addition to the big three, fullback Derrick Coleman and Ben Garland, who finished the season at the starting left guard, are set to become free agents.
Garland’s situation will be tied to the decision on whether to bring back starting left guard Andy Levitre, who’s set to make $7 million in 2018. He suffered a torn tricep and missed three full games and played just five snaps in one game.
Other projected unrestricted free agents, include wide receiver Taylor Gabriel, linebacker Kemal Ishmael, returner Andre Roberts, defensive tackle Courtney Upshaw, defensive tackle Ahtyba Rubin, offensive tackle Austin Pasztor, cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson, linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, cornerback Leon McFadden, linebacker Jordan Tripp, and wide receiver Nick Williams.
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