New broke on Tuesday that the Falcons inked backup swing-tackle Ty Sambrailo to a three-year extension. After filling in nicely for Ryan Schraeder – who was a mess in 2018 – it’s not surprising that they wanted to bring him back as quality depth.
The shocking news came when the numbers on the contract were finally released. Sambrailo’s deal is for 3 years and carries a max value of $18 million ($6 million AAV), according to Mike Garafalo, a reporter for the NFL Network. That’s a contract that shows the Falcons view him as much more than just a backup. They are planning on him being the starting right tackle in 2019.
The deal for #Falcons OT Ty Sambrailo the team announced yesterday is three years, $18m max value, source says. Sambrailo took over for Ryan Schraeder at right tackle late last year and this deal shows Atlanta is confident in him as a starter going forward.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) February 20, 2019
This all but guarantees that Ryan Schraeder will be cut by the team, or is working on restructuring his contract. Schraeder was owed $7.75 million in 2019, and the Falcons save close to $4 million in cap space by letting him walk.
When the Falcons originally announced the signing yesterday morning, Dan Quinn had this to say regarding Sambrailo, “We are excited to bring back Ty as a part of our brotherhood. His versatility has proven to be one of his many strengths. We look forward to him being a valuable piece of the offensive line.”
For a team that has said one of its top priorities is protecting the quarterback, they are taking quite a risk by placing their full trust in Sambrailo. The 2015 second-round pick out of Colorado State never found his footing with the Broncos, appearing in 13 games and starting in seven of them. He’s a key reason as to why Vic Beasley Jr. still has a job, allowing the former Pro-Bowler to come up with 3.5 sacks in a regular season game back in 2016.
The Falcons traded a fifth-round pick for Sambrailo just before the start of 2017 to add depth across their line. He appeared in two games as a replacement for Ryan Schraeder that year and performed decently. The best play of his career came this past season when he took over for Schraeder down the stretch. According to Pro Football Focus, his 266 snaps played and grade of 67.0 were both career highs.
Ty Sambrailo's 266 snaps and 67.0 grade in 2018 were both career highs. https://t.co/frmcmpmC1j
— PFF ATL Falcons (@PFF_Falcons) February 19, 2019
However, it’s not like a grade of 67.0 on Pro Football Focus is anything to write home about. The Falcons also didn’t end the year facing a bunch of world-beating defensive lines. In fact, they played quite the opposite in Green Bay, Arizona, Carolina, and Tampa Bay. Going the cheap route and signing a tackle with such little experience and even less quality production is a significant risk that could cost the Falcons a playoff spot in 2019. If that happens, you can expect Arthur Blank to look at decisions like these as to why he will part ways with both Thomas Dimitroff and Dan Quinn.