5 Falcons players whose contracts could soon be extended
The NFLPA has established the league’s cap ceiling for the 2022 season and the Atlanta Falcons project to be over the cap again. Even so, there are still players who are set to be free agents in a year or two that will need to start negotiating new deals. Here are five Falcons who could be in line for contract extensions.
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Grady Jarrett has been the heartbeat of a Falcons defense that has been a bottom dweller for a long time. Jarrett, who still has two years left on his current contract, could find himself negotiating for an extension soon. He's due $20.83 million in 2021 and $23.83 million in 2022, the final year of his deal. Jarrett is too good for the Falcons to let leave and an extension could help the team's cap situation going forward.
LB Foye Oluokun
(AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Foye Oluokun improved in 2020 as a run defender and pass rusher. However, his pass coverage grade went down. Oluokun is set to become a free agent after the 2021 season and he's likely to be atop the list of players the Falcons wish to keep. Oluokun is in need of a strong 2021 season, especially in the passing game where he allowed a completion rate of 73 percent and averaged 11 yards per catch. Foye will likely be eyeing a contract that pays him more than the $2.2 million he is set to receive in 2021.
(AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Aside from Jarrett, Calvin Ridley is the next big name in need of an extension. The fourth-year receiver will assume the top spot on Atlanta's depth chart in 2021 and will likely want to be paid as such. Ridley is due $11.16 million in 2022 as the Falcons picked up his fifth-year option this past May. It's likely that Ridley will want close to what the Bills paid Stefon Diggs, who will see a cap hit north of $17 million in 2022 and 2023. Diggs is currently on a contract worth $72 million with a year-by-year average of $14.4 million.
WR Russell Gage
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With the list of prospects on the Falcons to-do list next offseason, Gage will need to have a breakout year to warrant a return in 2022. Gage stepped up and proved to be effective as the team's No. 3 receiving option in 2020, but 2021 will see him step into the No. 2 role. The closest comp I can peg to Gage is Corey Davis of the Titans. Davis excelled in Arthur Smith's system in Tennessee and earned a three year, $37.5 millon contract from the New York Jets as a free agent.
Kicker: Younghoe Koo
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The Falcons have a long history of reliable kickers. Koo had a career year in 2020, converting 37 of his 39 attempts and making all eight of his kicks from 50 or more yards. If he can duplicate last year's success, the Falcons could find themselves paying Koo between $4-$5 million per year, nearly 500 percent more than what he's currently making. The NFL's top 11 kickers make over $4 million per year.
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