Report: Falcons eye extensions with S Allen, DT Jarrett
With several key players already extended this offseason, the Atlanta Falcons have turned their attention to new deals for safety Ricardo Allen and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, according to an NFL Network report Monday.
Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Falcons planned to meet with Allen's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, on Monday to discuss an extension, while Jarrett is also a high priority.
After making quarterback Matt Ryan the league's highest-paid player earlier this offseason, general manager Thomas Dimitroff said the team would pursue extensions with Jarrett and left tackle Jake Matthews before the start of the regular season. Matthews signed a new five-year deal on Friday.
The team tendered Allen, who was a restricted free agent, at the second-round level this spring, and he signed his $2.914 million tender in June. He will become an unrestricted free agent next spring if an extension is not reached before then.
A former fifth-round pick at cornerback, the 26-year-old has played primarily as the single-high safety in Dan Quinn's Cover-3 heavy defense since the head coach arrived in 2015. Allen has intercepted six passes and defended 10 while starting 45 games over the last three seasons, adding in 212 tackles in that span.
Jarrett, 25, will make $1.9 million in the final year of his rookie deal this season, more than three times his 2017 salary.
The former fifth-round pick tallied 4.0 sacks on 13 quarterback hits, along with a team-high 15 tackles for loss in 2017, starting all 16 games for the first time in his career. He has 8.0 sacks through three seasons while missing only one game, and he racked up 3.0 sacks in Super Bowl LI against the New England Patriots.
--Field Level Media
