Hannah Foslien/Getty Images Brandon Powell of the Atlanta Falcons runs with the ball against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on October 18, 2020.
’Tis the season for signing exclusive rights free agents and tendering restricted free agents. The Atlanta Falcons have already done some work in regards to the former, signing all five of their exclusive rights free agents, namely: defensive tackle Jacob Tuioti-Mariner, placekicker Younghoe Koo, wide receiver Christian Blake, cornerback Tyler Hall and tight end Jaeden Graham.
Now the question is: Should Atlanta tender either of its restricted free agents, those being offensive tackle Matt Gono, 24, who has appeared in a total of 21 games in the past two years; and wide receiver/kick returner Brandon Powell, 25, who contributed 12 catches for 69 yards and two touchdowns in 2020. Over the course of his young career Powell has appeared in 21 NFL games (two starts), and has 23 receptions for 198 yards.
2021 Restricted Free Agent Tenders
According to a tweet sent by Tom Pelissero of NFL Media on Friday, the 2021 restricted free agent tenders have been set and communicated to all NFL teams.
2021 Restricted Free Agent Tender Amounts
1st round: $4.766 million
2nd round: $3.384M
Original round: $2.183M
Right of first refusal only: $2.133M
As you can see, most of the above-referenced numbers don’t really concern the Falcons, as neither of their restricted free agents was drafted and neither calls for a first- or second-round tender. Gono signed with the Falcons after going undrafted out of Division III Wesley College, while Powell came into the NFL on May 11, 2018, signing as an undrafted free agent with the Detroit Lions out of the University of Florida.
Matt Gono, Perhaps?
But the Falcons can tender either of them at a cost of $2.133 million for one year, which would allow Atlanta to match any offer received. Of the two it seems more likely that Gono would be tendered, but it’s perhaps even more likely that the Falcons are trying to sign one or both at less than the cost of the one-year tender. After all, every dollar counts, and the Falcons still need to make more cuts or restructure more contracts to get under the cap by March 17.
Meanwhile, the Falcons have already moved on from safety Ricardo Allen and defensive end Allen Bailey, not to mention quarterback Kurt Benkert. They have also decided not to utilize the franchise tag on safety Keanu Neal and reportedly will not re-sign safety Damontae Kazee. Most recently, the team has also restructured the contract of starting left tackle Jake Matthews, freeing up approximately $8.6 million worth of salary cap space.
However, they still have many decisions to make in terms of their own pending unrestricted free agents, even as they consider potential budget additions from other teams around the league, with former Jacksonville Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette an intriguing possibility.
But owing to their tight cap situation, the Falcons will have to try to fill most of their needs via the draft. It helps that earlier this week the Falcons were awarded three compensatory picks in the 2021 NFL Draft, giving them a total of nine selections, including three in the fifth round and two in the sixth round.
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Should the Falcons Tender Their Restricted Free Agents?