Terry Fontenot: We have to make some hard decisions on Falcons roster
The Falcons overhauled their football operation this offseason with new General Manager Terry Fontenot and new head coach Arthur Smith. But Atlanta has a tall task ahead to get the roster ready for the 2021 season.
The club is one of a few in bad shape with the salary cap. Though the final number has yet to be determined, PFT reported on Sunday that it likely will not get up to $185 million — with the floor set at $180 million.
Atlanta already released safety Ricardo Allen and defensive end Allen Bailey last week. But those could be just the start of a series of moves.
“Everything is in consideration,” Fontenot said Tuesday, via Jason Butt of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “We’re going to have to make some hard decisions on this roster.”
Also a part of the Tuesday press conference, Smith mentioned Matt Ryan, Calvin Ridley, Chris Lindstrom, Younghoe Koo as players he’s excited about coaching.
There’s still a lot of time before even free agency begins on March 17. But the Falcons’ roster could look dramatically different than it did at the end of the 2020 season.