The Falcons have been wheeling and dealing from the start of the offseason until the end.
It began with the hiring of Raheem Morris, followed quickly by the biggest free agent deal of the offseason when Atlanta inked Kirk Cousins to a $180 million contract. On the same day, Darnell Mooney signed a $39 million free agent contract.
There was a bit of a lull and then the Falcons once again made headlines, drafting Michael Penix Jr., shocking the entire NFL world. Once again, there was a dead period, leaving many fans wondering if the Falcons were done bolstering the defense, an obvious weak point of the team.
That was answered when the Falcons traded for Matthew Judon, and before the dust could even settle, Justin Simmons joined him in Atlanta on a one-year free agent deal. It was a whirlwind, and it completely reshaped the Falcons defense, and they might not be done.
The Falcons have 52 players on their roster, one short of the standard 53-man rosters for NFL clubs, and they just created more cap space by converting $11.25 million of Jessie Bates III’s 2024 base salary into a signing bonus.
#Falcons converted Jessie Bates III contract, converting $11.25 million of his 2024 base salary into a signing bonus for salary cap purposes, per a league source, lowering his salary-cap figure to $10.008 million. Cap figures of $22.25 million, $22.27 million 2025, 2026 @KPRC2
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) September 4, 2024
More than likely, a practice squad player will be activated before Sunday’s season opener against the Steelers, and this cap space is just emergency funds for the season.
However, there’s a possibility that the extra cap space is to add another piece, possibly a cornerback or wide receiver, the two weakest positions of the Falcons starting lineup.
Again, that’s unlikely, but we aren’t here to be rational. Are we, Falcons fans?
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Photographer: Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire
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