Falcons’ top 10 salary cap numbers for 2012
Atlanta Falcons' Matt Ryan (2) throws a pass against the Carolina Panthers during the third quarter of an NFL football game in Charlotte, N.C., Sunday, Dec. 11, 2011. AP
With cornerback Dunta Robinson re-working his contract earlier this week, the Falcons have a new top 10 in salary cap numbers for 2012.
Here are the top 10 cap numbers:
1. Matt Ryan, quarterback, $13.5 million.
2. Brent Grimes, cornerback, $10.281 million (franchise tag).
3. Roddy White, wide receiver, $8.025 million.
4. Michael Turner, running back, $7 million.
5. Dunta Robinson, cornerback, $6 million ( He drops one spot from fourth to fifth. His previous number was $7.75 million.)
6. Tony Gonzalez, tight end, $5.9 million.
7. Justin Blalock, left guard, $5.3 million.
8. Jonathan Babineaux, defensive tackle, $4.6 million.
9. Ray Edwards, defensive end, $4.5 million.
10. Tyson Clabo, right tackle, $4.05 million.
–D. Orlando Ledbetter, The Atlanta Falcons beat blog
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82 comments Add your comment
MrShields
March 9th, 2012
7:14 pm
Chop Turners contact next. 7 mill is too much for a 30 year old RB with a ton of miles from 4 seasons
MrShields
March 9th, 2012
7:14 pm
I.know I can’t actually be first…
realitycheck
March 9th, 2012
7:16 pm
Nothing to get excited about at all. Falcons lost last 2 games by a combined 51 pts and this regime enters its 5th season with ZERO playoff wins. And Melt is still the QB too!
UcantCLA
March 9th, 2012
7:21 pm
Hey D. LedBetter Any chance we trade our number second round pick to the Colts for Freeney? A star DE w/out giving up a signing bonus sounds very tempting.
Big Rod
March 9th, 2012
7:22 pm
Now is our time to take over the NFC South since the Aints are in turmoil!
Ra'mon
March 9th, 2012
7:31 pm
Why not re-sign Gonzalez to a deal that has his cap number at $2 Mil, and he gets a signing bonus now, instead of leaving the cap hit at $5 Mil.
KC in Smyrna
March 9th, 2012
7:36 pm
Ramon,
We’d have to get Tony to agree to a contract with a 2nd or 3rd year on it. Then we could spread his “signing bonus” or “roster bonus” over either 2 or 3 years of the deal. With a 1yr deal, you hands are tied. Any restructured bonus wouldn’t have any additional to spread the hit.
KC in Smyrna
March 9th, 2012
7:37 pm
$16MM for 2 CBs and among the league’s worst pass defenses. We need to make some changes somewhere. Scheme or Mario Williams to make that pay off.
Treeofwoe
March 9th, 2012
8:26 pm
Trade turner while he has value. Get an extra draft pick. Use our 2nd rounder on our RB of the future. Save $5 million on the cap. Get Mario.
Bluestreak
March 9th, 2012
8:28 pm
Grimes won’t be signed at the franchise level. He had his chance to make 10 mil and has apparently decided against it. That’s fine. He’s not a 10 mil CB.
Just watch, the birds will find a comparable CB or one that fits Nolan’s scheme better and rescend the franchise tag and tell Grimey he can take Miko to Buffalo or some place that won’t “disrespect her boo”
KC, I think we’ll be looking at 10 to 12 mil for our two starting CBs. I’m ok with that, especially if Super Mario is running over Brees wearing Red and Black!
Paddy
March 9th, 2012
8:44 pm
Grimes not signing a long term deal is going to be discussed for a long time. If his wife has any say so, she should suggest Grimes fire his agent. He didn’t pick up the money! You always pick up the money!
Mike
March 9th, 2012
8:52 pm
@UcantCLA, Dwight Freeney is due more money next year than Matt Ryan. He is 32 and had the same number of sacks as Abraham last year. Dont think he is worth a 2nd Round pick or any of our draft picks for that matter. If we get a D End making that kind of money his name better be Mario Williams.
JSS
March 9th, 2012
9:09 pm
Grimes makes almost more this year than he has in entire career combined… You want to end the Grimes issue, pay him what the market would…
$13.5 million from a rookie contract, that still makes my stomach queasy!
Mave
March 9th, 2012
9:13 pm
List is fine…don’t get the focus on Turner…the guy is a franchise leading back…restructure him sure, but don’t cut him. Some more restructures may be in order. Still prefer Carl Nicks over Super Mario…remember those 4 and 1s….O-line needs help.
John
March 9th, 2012
9:14 pm
If Atlanta were to go after Freeny where would his current contract fit on this list?
John
March 9th, 2012
9:16 pm
The more I think about it….. The Falcons are going after Mario. I like the plan… Lets just execute. GO BIG or GO HOME
pawatl
March 9th, 2012
9:21 pm
Cut or trade turner, baker,jerry,and ovie. Trade white and this frees up atleast an additional 20 million for this year! Sign grimes to a long term deal,and this would give us a total of 40 to 50 million in cap space! You could get willams, fill a all your o-line needs(lt,rg,center) and get a really good 3-.4 nose tackle.My guess we probably would atleast pick up a number one draft pick for white, and maybe a extra 2 or 3 for turner.I would resign sanders and hayden if the prices are right.You could drat you future running back or wr or build good depth on th o-line and d-line!
-
pawatl
March 9th, 2012
9:39 pm
think of it this way, your lb would be beirman,willams,spoon,nichols, your de in 3 4 would be peters, edwards and babs rotating,plus add a good 3-4 nt by making the moves i said in my last post! Then you could still sign atleast two of the top o-lineman of the three positions you need(lt,rg,center).Plus you would pick up an adittional 1 and maybe a 2 or 3 in the draft !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Our d would be in the top 3 in the nfl. If we find a way to help ryan with his deep ball we would probably have a top 5 offense!!!!!!!!!!!!
pj
March 9th, 2012
9:49 pm
Get mario. Get mario. Get mario. Get mario. Get mario.
pawatl
March 9th, 2012
9:51 pm
i would also not resign lofton ,wees or redman. I would add backup depth at LB,sign garrard as ryans backup becuase he knows the system, and franks would be my returner!
Runner-
March 9th, 2012
9:59 pm
One thing the Falcons may currently be looking at is releasing the man formerly known as The Burner. Would give us an extra 5 million to work with, but we would need to have someone else come in to replace him, unless they believe Jason and Jacquizz can handle the workload. Tough decisions to make, but I have faith in the trio of Mr. Blank, Rich, and TD
pawatl
March 9th, 2012
10:02 pm
if we made the moves i said we could take a very good to top of the line runningback in the draft.
pawatl
March 9th, 2012
10:03 pm
a 1st or 2nd rounder
Kobie
March 9th, 2012
10:04 pm
Reading these blogs are truly hilarious. Everyone on here is all of a sudden a GM and a master of cap room and come up with all sorts of answers. Trade Michael Turner for a second or third round pick? Why would a team do that for a 30 year old back instead of another team just drafting a back themselves. Everyone seems to foget he ran for over 1300 yards behind a suspect line. Trade White for a first round pick even though he is our leading receiver and the point is to have as many weapons on offense as possible to become less predictable. Some people seem to think we can just.plug anybody in and win. Calm down and think rationally, really.
pawatl
March 9th, 2012
10:12 pm
because he is still good enough for atleast a 3 if not take what u can get for him or cut him. the point is to free up 5 to 7 million in cap space, if you can get 2 or 3 for him thats just a plus. Also if you can’t aleast get 3 for him, doesn’t that tell you he’s probably not worth a 5 to 7 millon dollar cap hit.Duh!!!!!!!!
pawatl
March 9th, 2012
10:14 pm
and dropped more passes percentage wise as well! Almost Twice as high of a percentage!!!!
pawatl
March 9th, 2012
10:18 pm
from point of contact to me it seemed like snelling picked up more yards than turner did last year,just sayin
pawatl
March 9th, 2012
10:24 pm
think about it like this turners trade value only goes down from this point on and probably the same for white,plus without a retool of the o-line we will be in the same shape as last year. Same can be said about the d line.So to let turner and white go to get willams,gaither,and or nicks would be a wise move.
pawatl
March 9th, 2012
10:46 pm
also with a new offensive and defensive system coming this year you can afford to work more new players in the lineup, because the whole team has to learn the system from square one.
Kobie
March 9th, 2012
10:50 pm
So with all that being said, who would you replace White with? Yes, he dropped some passes, but his production again was outstanding. Snelling is a good backup who can catch the ball out of the backfield, but as we can see you need a couple of good backs. I believe Turner wore down at the end, but in todays game you just dont run one guy 300 times anymore. Even though it is a passing leaguw now, a good bruising back is nice to have. Your moves make the line better, but for who? No White means Julio doubled. Gararrd sounds nice but would he take less than Redman to back up and would he want too. I just think some of you scenarios while nice, helps in some areas and weakens others.
pawatl
March 9th, 2012
11:07 pm
colston mannigham ,draft one, or give cone or douglas a shot
pawatl
March 9th, 2012
11:13 pm
There are a lot of good free agent wideouts that would come much cheaper. Personally i think you put douglas outside and start cone or meier in the slot
pawatl
March 9th, 2012
11:19 pm
if you dont feel comfortable with that as your recevier corps than take the 1 round pick you get for white and take the top recevier in the draft. Cleveland has the #4 pick and they want a recevier ,trade white for that forth pick and you got the top wr in the draft.Then take your running back in round 2.
pawatl
March 9th, 2012
11:26 pm
i think snelling/ rodgers is a good combo,but I would add a rb in the draft
pawatl
March 9th, 2012
11:32 pm
cone is the fastest receiver on the roster put him in the slot with douglas outside, if they double jones their nickelback better be fast or they will have problems.
Sterling
March 10th, 2012
12:14 am
This idiot really just said “trade white”
JSS
March 10th, 2012
12:29 am
If Randy Moss didn’t get traded for a 1st round pick, Roddy White sure isn’t going to pull more that a 3rd at his age…
dave
March 10th, 2012
8:36 am
it is a good thing td or ms dont read these comments. there are alot of people writing about things they know nothing about. they surely know nothing about football and what it takes to win.
robertussen
March 10th, 2012
8:39 am
jones is the fastest wr on the roster, not cone, and to trade white would be dumber than dumb
SavDawg
March 10th, 2012
10:54 am
I think pawatl is just pulling our leg nobody could make those dumb comments and be serious!
steven A. smith
March 10th, 2012
1:16 pm
pawatl
March 9th, 2012
11:13 pm
There are a lot of good free agent wideouts that would come much cheaper. Personally i think you put douglas outside and start cone or meier in the slot
GREAT POST..Roddy is on the “downside” of his career. Go after Vincent Jackson. Meltdown needs big receivers who can catch his “off-target” passes.
Nadine
March 10th, 2012
2:27 pm
Grimes is likely to sign with Falcons because another team will be required to give the falcons 2 first round picks as compensation. Not likely to happen.
Nadine
March 10th, 2012
2:32 pm
Pawatl is the worst “GM” in NFL history. A first round pick for white and a 3rd round pick for turner??? Every team in the league would blackball you for being joke. you couldnt get a 1st round pick for both of them
Big Crimson 75
March 10th, 2012
3:04 pm
Get rid of Turner.
Get rid of Grimes & the Mrs.
Sign Mario.
Sign Finnegan.
Let Abe walk.
Let Loftin walk.
Let HD walk.
Draft Zebrie Sanders – OT – FSU in 2nd round
Draft Sean Spence – LB – Miami in 3rd round
Draft Deangelo Peterson – TE – LSU in 5th
Roddy White
March 10th, 2012
5:07 pm
100 Catches and 1200 plus yards….. Trade me and dive someone a “shot’ ? pawatl, with all due respect that idea isn’t worth a velvet picture of a Whale and a Dolphin getting it on ! You don’t get top 5 picks for veteran recievers that have more than a few drops….
P. Bull Terrier
March 10th, 2012
7:02 pm
Trading all of the players on the top 10 list for draft picks would save something like $70 million before you factor in the rookie contracts. The new players we draft might not be any better than the players they replace, but as we have learned from the bloggers, new and unproven is always more exciting than whatever we already have.
Plus, bringing in all new players would give everyone plenty of reason to complain about the coaching schemes while all of the new players try to learn a new system. Next season we can fire all of our coaches and get new ones. The season after that, we can trade all of our players for draft picks again. That way, the excitement never ends.
Dirty Bird
March 11th, 2012
3:25 am
Get rid of Matt Ryan get Peyton Manning
Dirty Bird
March 11th, 2012
3:27 am
Get rid of Matt Ryan for Peyton Manning
cw
March 11th, 2012
10:39 am
whats wrong with going after nicks, colston,mcneil.might could get all of them for the price of mario.then use draft for defense.this would make ice very happy.will never be able to stretch field if we don’t.please don’tput all your eggs in 1 basket.
cwltank
March 11th, 2012
12:48 pm
RYAN is their to stay, so for those who do not like him, change teams. Turner is a great back who was victim of a terrible system. To put a big slow full back in front of a big slow back is dumb. Ovie is a great blocker, but given Turner size, Ovie does not benefit him. if we sign Dallas Clark and Mario & cut Ovie & retract Grimes tag, we should be ready to be called an elite team. Plus, Dallas Clark could be our future TE.
Dirty Bird
March 11th, 2012
1:28 pm
The Falcons are never going to do anything with Matty Ice
Matty freezes up in big games.
johnm
March 11th, 2012
9:19 pm
pawatl are you smoking something? this is real life, not a video game. Keep to running your madden franchise, not the real thing. i mean seriousely
Gunner
March 11th, 2012
9:24 pm
You trade away Turner? You CRAZY! Turner needs an O-Line in front of him. We just got a new Guard. Let Mr. D do his job he knows what he is doing. As currently configure we are at least one win better and the draft and free-agency have not, yet, begun
dirty bird 71
March 11th, 2012
10:35 pm
Wow! Hey I got an idea! Lets trade every top player on the team for draft picks, cut the ones we cant get a descent trade value for and free up $120 mil of space and fill the team with unproven draft players that you never know what you will get, and fill the holes with the FA… which by the way has only so many good players to go after… and the rest deemed not worth the money to resign or not wanted on the team…. Wow that sounds like a plan! NOT!!!!!!!!!
ps Pawati You seriously have no clue what you are talking about. Quit posting now and try to save yourself some dignity!
dirty bird 71
March 11th, 2012
10:36 pm
Pawati…. you need to change your favorite team… become a colts fan… they are doing basically what you want to do and dumping the best players on the team to replace them with….. Who?
BIRDSAREBACK
March 11th, 2012
11:37 pm
Dunta Robinson is the one who needs to go. He hasn’t earned any of the outrageous money we paid him to be a shut down corner. We need to find a better CB in the free agent market.
Mountain Man
March 12th, 2012
7:11 am
I’m not sure what the Falcons are doing. Sign DeCoud and Grimes, but let Lofton get away in F.A.? Lofton is a better player than either DeCoud or Grimes. Bad mistake here.
JONESBORO SLIM
March 12th, 2012
8:53 am
Someone tell me what time does “free agency start?
Brick
March 12th, 2012
12:41 pm
Jonesboro Slim
– Free Agency starts Tomorrow at 4 p.m.
kevin
March 12th, 2012
12:54 pm
The falcons need to trade senlling we need to get Mario Williams in we need to sign Carl Nick cut! Some of the we have to free up some of our cap space some of the player are get a lot of money
Jepri arias
March 12th, 2012
1:05 pm
Enter your comments here
steve
March 12th, 2012
4:12 pm
These bloggers crack me up! not one person here has seen game film broken down
on Lofton or any other player and yet they know who to keep or release
JONESBORO SLIM
March 12th, 2012
7:45 pm
Reading these blogs…some of you people don’t know “Jack” about the game…don’t even believe that the birds will go after Mario Williams…he’s looking for a huge payday…Houston payed him $18 million last year….Mario Williams…forget him….he will be getting $22 million if they put the tag on him……
agent7g
March 12th, 2012
8:22 pm
Lofton is a solid player who will be missed. He will get paid but it will be elsewhere. Even without his cap hit the Falcons have no where near the space to clear room for a top tier free agent. Expect more moves made like the ones from this past weekend. Can Koetter & Nolan coach ‘em up?
dub366
March 13th, 2012
5:52 am
everybody talking about get rid of players but the main one Matt Ryan he’s the one making money and doing nothing that all i got to say.
Richard
March 13th, 2012
9:44 am
Roddy White to the Patriots for one of their first round picks would truely benefit both teams!!!!!!!!!!!!!
scfan
March 13th, 2012
11:01 am
pawatl – After we execute your plan and win the next three SBs, I think you should channel your talents into solving world hunger. This blog is much too small for you. There are a number of other bloggers on here who could replace TD.
Dirty Bird
March 13th, 2012
5:03 pm
Dub366 you are on point .Matty Ice freezes in big games.
The team, fans, and the media should stop giving this guy
a pass on his horrendous performance in the playoffs. We
can do better for the money he’s receiving.
MATTY ICE FREEZES IN BIG GAMES
True Falcon Fan
March 13th, 2012
5:49 pm
5:03 pm Dirty Bird —- Just what if —- Who would you bring in to replace the “Ice man”?
Dirty Bird
March 13th, 2012
6:22 pm
I would take a look at Payton for one. All I’m saying is
paying a guy who can’t throw a deep ball the money he’s
making is crazy.You can overlook his shortcomings but I can’t.
The Falcons are not getting a good return on there investment.
Keep it real true Falcon Fans
True Falcon Fan
March 13th, 2012
7:35 pm
Peyton Manning is 34 years old he needs an extremely good LT & RG, then if he is ready to put “IT” back on the playing field and play game time NFL ball? If Arthur Blank were to agree to at least 17-21million per year (which makes NO SENSE)? Peyton does not have any better arm than Matt Ryan! = equal — Leadership skills in opinion are = equal “Ryan”!
Matt Ryan is 27 years old! = Favor to the Falcons — My opinion bottom-line no way if i were part of Falcons personnel management — i would NOT consider Peyton Manning!
Really, Dirty Bird — with the right personnel around MR2, this guy can get “IT” done! Our problem is we are 3-4 players from the mark. 2 OLmen, probably 1 RB or maybe CB, 1 DE, 1″A” Super Safety!
True Falcon Fan
March 13th, 2012
7:39 pm
Sorry i meant 3-5 players from the mark
2 > 7
March 14th, 2012
11:34 am
10mil is too much for Grimes. The guy is a great player, but not that great.
AlanFalcon
March 14th, 2012
3:20 pm
Com’on you’ll, go buy some Rolaids and relax, the only reason we are on this blog is to hear our own idea’s, the Falcons don’t read this stuff.
Couch GM
March 15th, 2012
1:53 am
These couch GMs are funny.. they just don’t have a clue what TD will do and have no clue how to run a team…folks are so OBSESSED with big name free agents like that will solve all problems, Falcons haven’t been active in FA yet is because they have very little cap money to work with and haven’t had any scheduled visits from free agent players yet…TD is scrambling trying to figure out which direction to go…look forward to reading these hilarious and comical comments from fans or couch GMs…lol
Rod Paradise
March 15th, 2012
11:03 am
Agreed on the Dunta situation. Grimes imho has earned his money. Dunta not so much.
willieg
March 15th, 2012
11:17 am
Enter your comments here
willieg
March 15th, 2012
11:20 am
THIS TEAM SUX BIG TIME PRINT THAT SINCE YOU DIDNT PRINT MY LAST WHOLE PARAGRAPH.
willieg
March 15th, 2012
11:22 am
I HAVE CANCELED MY SEASON TICKETS GOOD RIDINCE OF THIS LOSING FRANCHISE ITS A DISGRACE THAT NEW ORLEANS AND TAMPA BAY HAS WON A SUPER BOWL AND FALCONS HAVE NOT.
willieg
March 15th, 2012
11:23 am
ARTHUR BLANK HIRE DAN REEVES BACK AND I WILL RENEW MY SEASON TICKETS.
willieg
March 15th, 2012
11:25 am
GET MANNING HER TOO,HE IS AN UPGRADE FROM RYAN TRADE RYAN TO ANYBODY THAT WILL HAVE HIM .
ddoogg33
March 15th, 2012
2:44 pm
some of the people on here dont have a clue but the ones wonting garrad is just mindless with out a brain