The NFL projects the 2019 salary cap to be between $187 million and $191.1 million.
What does that mean for Atlanta? Here are some numbers to consider:
Atlanta, which have made renegotiating Julio Jones' deal and re-signing Grady Jarrett a priority, already have about $165 million committed to their top 51 players next season.
That leaves the team with about $25 million under the cap without any cap casualties.
The Falcons will carry over $1.1 million of their 2018 salary cap space, according to the players union. That's among the bottom figures for the league.
The Falcons could quickly get to $40 million under the cap by restructuring tackle Ryan Schraeder's deal, which has a $7.7 million cap number for 2019, and possibly releasing cornerback Robert Alford.
The Falcons would save $7.9 million by releasing Alford and incur $1.2 million in dead money. He currently has a cap number of $9.1 million for 2019.
Here is a rundown of the top 5 cap hits for the Falcons next season (before Jones' deal is restructured):
1. Matt Ryan, quarterback: $22.8 million
2. Desmond Trufant, cornerback: $13.9 million
3. Julio Jones, wide receiver: $13.46 million
4. Vic Beasley, defensive end: $12.81 million
5. Jake Matthews, offensive tackle: $11.08 million
Four o'clock March 13 is an important date and time. The NFL free agency and trade period begins and all teams must be under the 2019 salary cap.
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