The Falcons made another cap-saving move Wednesday afternoon, releasing tackle Ryan Schraeder just hours before the official start of the 2019 league year.
Ryan Schraeder’s agent confirmed he has been released by the Falcons.
— vaughn mcclure (@vxmcclure23) March 13, 2019
The move will be a post-June 1st cut, saving the Falcons $6.45 million instead of $3.95 million, but they cannot use that money until after June 1st making it useless for free agency purposes. However, the Falcons can spend the money signing their draft picks or for replacing injured players during the season, which allows them a little more wiggle room to maneuver on their tight budget.
Schraeder was signed to a five-year extension in 2016 with a max value of $33 million. For years, he was a stalwart on the Atlanta offensive line but fell out of favor with the team after poor performances throughout last year and was eventually replaced by Ty Sambrailo – who the Falcons inked to a three-year extension earlier this offseason.
It’s unknown how the Falcons will approach the right tackle situation as of now. Jamon Brown has experience at the position from his college days, but he has been primarily a guard during his NFL career. Ty Sambrailo will have an opportunity to prove himself, but it’s likely the Falcons look to target an offensive tackle in the draft, or perhaps add to the competition via free agency.