The Falcons are set to have around $56 million in cap space this offseason, and that figure could quickly balloon to nearly $70 million if Atlanta parts ways with Marcus Mariota. Terry Fontenot and Arthur Smith are entering a critical juncture in their tenure with more cap space than ever. This continues a series of potential Falcons free agent targets, moving on to Dalvin Tomlinson. Below are past editions:
Falcons Free Agent Targets 2023: Dalvin Tomlinson
Tomlinson started his career in New York and primarily assumed nose tackle snaps for the Giants. With the Vikings, he’s lined up in more of a three-technique. He’s probably better as a zero- or one-technique, but the versatility to move around is there. According to PFF, “his 83.0 run-defense grade since 2017 is a top-16 mark at the position and his 55 tackles for loss or no gain since 2017 the third-most among interior players.”
Tomlinson is a massive human whose primary asset is clogging up running lanes. He has posted 13 sacks over six seasons, so he’d do nothing more than garner double teams and provide an interior push, but that could be just what the doctor ordered for Grady Jarrett to get more one on ones.
PFF projects a $35.25 million contract over three years, an average annual value of $11.75 million per year. Tomlinson played in 13 games in 2022 and tallied 42 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and one fumble recovery. He’s coming off a career-low 523 defensive snaps due to his leg injury but still managed to log 40+ tackles and 2+ sacks for the fifth time.
Spotrac has Dalvin Tomlinson’s market value at three years, $25.5 million, with an average annual value of $8.5 million. That’s a more palatable per-year salary, but the contractual term is longer. I believe that could be a potential scenario this offseason — pay a higher AAV on a shorter contract or a lower AAV over a longer period. For someone who is 330 pounds and approaching 30 years old, that’s a difficult decision to make.
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