Now that the Atlanta Falcons have locked down their successor to former head coach Arthur Smith in Raheem Morris as the new leading man for the team in 2024, it's now time to look at the offseason, and that begins with the roster.
Putting together the 2024 team starts in the offseason, whether it's the draft, free agency, or making much-needed cuts like the Falcons, like every other team in the league, will need to do. Luckily for the Falcons, they are hovering around the middle of the pack as far as salary cap space goes, with almost $26 million, per PFF. That's obviously better than a lot of teams in the league currently and should be good enough to make a few significant signings in hopes of boosting their roster, although Atlanta will definitely be looking to add more space to improve their roster as well.
But where does Morris and his staff start looking to make cuts? We take a look at three players the Falcons should cut entering the 2024 offseason.
Taylor Heinicke, QB
Look, the quarterback room is a disaster in Atlanta and really has been post-Matt Ryan. Most are probably begging for a Desmond Ridder cut here, but that's highly unlikely. At least Ridder is young and hopefully coachable, and that new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson can work with him enough to make him a serviceable backup, QB2. Of course, this all depends on what route the Falcons go for in the 2024 NFL Draft, going with a quarterback in their first pick or not.
Heinicke, on the other hand, while a solid QB2, is a veteran who will most likely find a home elsewhere, and by cutting him, the Falcons could save $8.5 million in cap space, with just $2 million to move on, according to spotrac. Sure, you might miss some veteran presence with Heinicke cut, but the Falcons have far more pressing issues at the quarterback position than losing and the 3.4% of the cap he carries. This decision should be a no-brainer.
Jonnu Smith, TE
Smith was obviously really high on Jonnu Smith, bringing him in hopes of having his career a bit rejuvenated after spending the last two seasons in New England where he had 539 yards and just one touchdown to his name. Smith did that and better in just one season in Atlanta, with 582 yards and three touchdowns. But is this what Morris and offensive coordinator Zac Robinson are looking for to contribute to their offense?
Smith is a $9 million cap hit with $2.5 million in dead cap money. Cutting him would definitely create some extra cash flow for the Falcons and Morris to work with.
Lorenzo Carter, OLB
This seems like an odd choice for the Falcons, given they currently need some help at linebacker heading into 2024. But does Carter fit into the plans for new defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake's defensive scheme?
In two seasons, Carter has played in every single game but only started one game in 2023, according to Pro-Football-Reference. He did have 35 tackles, six tackles for a loss, three sacks, nine QB hits, one forced fumble with two fumble recoveries.
By cutting Carter, that's another $4.75 million that the Falcons would be taking off their cap hit, with just $1 million in dead cap. Combining these three cuts would give the Falcons an extra $22.25 million, roughly, to go with their already almost $26 million.