Getty The Falcons created cap space by ditching a pricey defensive tackle.
The Atlanta Falcons have created some more space under the salary cap after releasing a member of their defensive line on Tuesday, March 15. It’s a move set to save the team over $3 million under the cap.
Tyeler Davison and the Falcons parted company on the second day of so-called “legal tampering.” The news was reported by ESPN’s Michael Rothstein:
Falcons release DT Tyeler Davison.
Dumping Davison means the Falcons and general manager Terry Fontenot now has more room to maybe make a splash move during free agency. There’s obviously space on the roster for a pass-rusher, wide receiver or a running back.
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Falcons Add Funds
Cutting Davison won’t removed all of a cap hit that was set to be worth $5,013,334, according to Spotrac.com. Rothstein explained exactly what the Falcons will save:
It’s still a decent addition to the pot for a team that has yet to bring in a player from another team. Instead, the Falcons have been content to retain some core players from last year who were set to test the market.
The key returnees are kicker Younghoe Koo and left tackle Jake Mattews, per Rothstein:
So far where Falcons stand in free agency:
UFA IN:
UFA OUT:
WR Russell Gage (Tampa)
LB Foye Oluokun (Jacksonville)
EXTENDED:
LT Jake Matthews (not a FA, just extended)
K Younghoe Koo (5 years)
TENDERED:
WR Olamide Zaccheaus (right of first refusal)
Yet, as that tweet shows, the Falcons are already weaker at two positions after losing a pair of key free agents. Replacing Russell Gage in the wide receiver room won’t be easy, nor will offsetting the loss of Foyesade Oluokun from the linebacker depth chart.
Having limited cap space meant any signings would be difficult to negotiate for Fontenot. It’s why somebody like Davison became expendable.
A fifth-round pick of the New Orleans Saints in 2015, Davison moved to Atlanta four years later. In three seasons with the Falcons, Davison proved active and sturdy against the run.
He was in on 117 tackles, but Davison wasn’t much help in the passing game. The 29-year-old registered just 1.5 sacks for the Falcons.
Davison’s struggles generating pressure were typical on a defense that logged a league-low 18 sacks in 2021. That’s a problem the Falcons now have the funds to fix.
Pass Rush Needs a Headline Signing
The quick fix for the Falcons dismal pass rush would be to pluck a proven veteran from the market. There are plenty who fit the description, but few better than Chandler Jones.
He’s the Arizona Cardinals’ franchise sack leader, but he wasn’t tagged ahead of the start of business. Now the Falcons are one of a clutch of teams set to be interested, per NFL analyst Jordan Schultz:
There’s a strong queue of suitors, but there are plenty of alternatives to Jones. They include Justin Houston, who played his college football at Georgia.
Super Bowl winners Von Miller and Jason Pierre-Paul are also still available. Meanwhile, younger players like 25-year-old Arden Key and Al-Quadin Muhammad, 26, would be more cost-effective solutions for the Falcons’ problems getting to the passer.
If the Falcons don’t focus on the pass rush, Fontenot could turn his attention to a new wide receiver. The market has been inflated by some of the contracts already handed out, but there are still options, including bringing back running back/wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson.