Atlanta Falcons

UCF FINatic · Feb 8, 2015

ATLANTA FALCONS

Quarterbacks
Matt Ryan - $19,500,000...............(-$33,900,000)
Matt Moore - $780,000...............(-$780,000)
Tyler Thigpen - $510,000...............(-$0)
QB Salary: ($20,790,000)

Halfbacks
Latavius Murray - $611,550...............(-$53,100)
Jarryd Haynes - $510,000...............(-$0)
Jonathan Dwyer - $510,000...............(-$0)
HB Salary: ($1,631,550)

Fullbacks
Jalston Fowler - $460,947...............(-$0) [rookie]
FB Salary: ($460,947)

Wide Receivers
Julio Jones - $10,176,000...............(-$0)
Alshon Jeffery - $1,447,036..............(-$436,879)
Brandon Gibson - $1,500,000...............(-$1,500,000)
Mario Alford - $479,633...............(-$0) [rookie]
Vincent Brown - $510,000...............(-$0)
WR Salary: ($14,112,669)

Tight Ends
Jermaine Gresham - $5,987,648...............(-$5,987,648)
Zach Miller - $510,000...............(-$0)
Tony Moeaki - $510,000...............(-$0)
TE Salary: ($7,007,648)

Offensive Tackles
Jake Matthews - $3,733,977...............(-$13,442,318)
Ryan Schraeder - $585,668...............(-$668)
D.J. Humphries - $676,224...............(-$0) [rookie]
Ereck Flowers - $955,731...............(-$0) [rookie]
Reid Fragel - $510,000...............(-$0)
OT Salary: ($6,461,600)

Offensive Guards
Jon Asamoah - $4,300,000...............(-$3,200,000)
Zane Beadles - $5,000,000...............(-$2,000,000)
Lance Louis - $610,000...............(-$610,000)
OG Salary: ($9,910,000)

Centers
Ali Marpet - $588,450...............(-$0) [rookie]
B.J. Finney - $477,870...............(-$0) [rookie]
James Stone - $510,000...............(-$0)
C Salary: ($1,576,320)

Defensive Ends
Jason Pierre-Paul - $$18,600,000...............(-$18,600,000)
Greg Hardy - $10,599,999...............(-$10,599,999)
Marcus Rush - $420,000...............(-$0) [rookie]
Corey Wootton - $510,000...............(-$0)
Stansly Maponga - $631,685...............(-$93,370)
DE Salary: ($30,761,684)

Defensive Tackles
Vince Wilfork - $8,000,000...............(-$8,000,000)
Corey Peters - $1,500,000...............(-$1,500,000)
Al Woods - $700,000...............(-$700,000)
Ricky Havili-Heimuli - $435,000...............(-$0)
DT Salary: ($10,635,000)

Outside Linebackers
Prince Shembo - $585,146...............(-$225,438)
Tyler Starr - $521,474...............(-$34,422)
Jacques Smith - $435,000...............(-$0)
OLB Salary: ($1,541,620)

Inside Linebackers
Eric Kendricks - $1,408,500...............(-$0) [rookie]
Chris Borland - $694,359..............(-$463,077)
Marquis Spruill - $477,870...............(-$128,610)
ILB Salary: ($2,580,729)

Cornerbacks
Chris Harris Jr. - $3,000,000...............(-$8,000,000)
Desmond Trufant - $2,227,117...............(-$3,606,862)
Bene Benwikere - $559,750...............(-$149,250)
Tray Walker - $450,612...............(-$0) [rookie]
Ricardo Allen - $435,000...............(-$0)
CB Salary: ($6,672,479)

Strong Safeties
Kemal Ishmael - $596,474...............(-$22,948)
Ibraheim Campbell - $543,023...............(-$0) [rookie]
SS Salary: ($1,139,497)

Free Safeties
Tashaun Gipson - $24,000,000...............(-$24,000,000)
Dezmen Southward - $737,373...............(-$518,124)
FS Salary: ($24,737,373)

Kicker
Matt Prater $510,000...............(-$0)
K Salary: ($510,000)

Punter
Matt Bosher - $1,605,000...............(-$2,000,000)
P Salary: ($1,605,000)

Long Snapper
Josh Harris - $760,000...............(-$400,000)
LS Salary: ($760,000)

Players: 53/53
Team Salary: $142,894,116
Dead Money: $2,513,737
Total Salary: $145,407,853
Salary Cap: $150,0000,000

Dead Money Incurred On:

WR Lance Moore (-$322,500)

QB Sean Renfree (-$22,948)

FS Zeke Motta (-$22,948)

WR Andre Caldwell (-$200,000)

HB Steven Jackson (-$1,166,668 ----> -$583,334) Post June Cut

OT Lamar Holmes (-$133,400)

C Joe Hawley (-$1,000,000 ----> -$500,000) Post June Cut

SS Omar Bolden (-$118,607)

OT Sam Young (-$610,000)

UCF FINatic · Feb 8, 2015

Draft Picks
1.028 - Eric Kendricks, LB, UCLA - $1,408,500
2.039 - Ereck Flowers, OL, Miami - $955,731
2.058 - D.J. Humphries, OL, Florida - $676,224
3.078 - Ali Marpet, OL, Hobart - $588,450
4.116 - Ibraheim Campbell, S, Northwestern - $543,023
5.153 - Mario Alford, WR, West Virginia - $479,633
5.156 - B.J. Finney, OL, Kansas State - $477,870
6.180 - Jalston Fowler, RB, Alabama - $460,947
7.200 - Tray Walker, CB, Texas Southern - $450,612

UDFA
Marcus Rush, DE, Michigan State - $420,000

UCF FINatic · Feb 8, 2015

Trades

2/08/15
Atlanta Falcons receive:
2nd round draft pick (39th overall)

Chicago Bears receive:
LB Joplo Bartu - $586,668 (-$1,668)
LB Paul Worrilow - $585,668 (-$668)
5th round draft pick (138th overall)
7th round draft pick (200th overall)
[HR][/HR]
Atlanta Falcons receive:
LB Chris Borland - $694,359 (-$463,077)
1st round draft pick (15th overall)

San Francisco 49ers receive:
1st round draft pick (8th overall)
4th round draft pick (104th overall)
[HR][/HR]
Atlanta Falcons receive:
WR Alshon Jeffery - $1,447,036 (-$436,879)
5th round draft pick (138th overall)

Chicago Bears receive:
WR Roddy White - $5,587,500 (-$5,662,500)
WR Harry Douglas - $4,395,834 (-$895,834)
TE Levine Toilolo - $660,146 (-$150,292)
3rd round draft pick (73rd overall)
6th round draft pick (169th overall)
[HR][/HR]
Atlanta Falcons receive:
4th round draft pick (116th overall)

Philadelphia Eagles receive:
WR Devin Hester - $3,708,333 (-$1,666,667)
[HR][/HR]
Atlanta Falcons receive:
CB Chris Harris Jr. - $3,000,000 (-$8,000,000)
1st round draft pick (28th overall)
5th round draft pick (156th overall)

Denver Broncos receive:
1st round draft pick (15th overall)
4th round draft pick (116th overall)

[HR][/HR]
[HR][/HR]
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2/15/15
Atlanta Falcons receive:
HB Jonathan Stewart - $8,300,000 (-$13,600,000)
CB Bene Benwikere - $559,750 (-$149,250)
5th round draft pick (153rd overall)

Carolina Panthers receive:
OT Sam Baker - $7,300,000 (-$9,200,000)
DT Ra'Shede Hageman - $1,212,691 (-$2,312,997)
CB Robert Alford - $927,654 (-$426,872)

[HR][/HR]
[HR][/HR]
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2/16/15
Atlanta Falcons receive:
OG Zane Beadles - $5,000,000 (-$2,000,000)

Jacksonville Jaguars receive:
DT Paul Soliai - $4,400,000 (-$5,600,000)
HB Devonta Freeman - $631,106 (-$363,318)
[HR][/HR]
Atlanta Falcons receive:
4th round draft pick (116th overall)

Denver Broncos receive:
DE/DT Tyson Jackson - $3,850,000 (-$8,650,000)

[HR][/HR]
[HR][/HR]
[HR][/HR]

2/17/15
Atlanta Falcons receive:
4th round draft pick (99th overall)
WR Andre Caldwell - $1,550,000 (-$200,000)
S Omar Bolden - $778,607 (-$118,607)

Denver Broncos receive:
OG Justin Blalock - $7,910,000 (-$4,120,000)
7th round draft pick (224th overall)

[HR][/HR]
[HR][/HR]
[HR][/HR]

2/28/15
Atlanta Falcons receive:
7th round draft pick (200th overall)

New York Jets receive:
DT Jonathan Babineaux - $3,666,666($1,333,334)

[HR][/HR]
[HR][/HR]
[HR][/HR]

3/16/15
Atlanta Falcons receive:
HB Latavius Murray $611,550 $53,100

Oakland Raiders receive:
HB Jonathan Stewart - $8,300,000 (-$13,600,000)
4th round draft pick (99th overall)
5th round draft pick (138th overall)

[HR][/HR]
[HR][/HR]
[HR][/HR]

3/26/15
Atlanta Falcons receive:
2nd round draft pick (58th overall)
3rd round draft pick (78th overall)

Arizona Cardinals receive:
2nd round draft pick (42nd overall)

UCF FINatic · Feb 8, 2015

Free Agents

Unrestricted Free Agent
Osi Umenyiora, DE, UFA
Matt Bryant, K, UFA
Corey Peters, DT, UFA
Robert McClain, CB, UFA
Josh Wilson, CB, UFA
Kroy Biermann, DE, UFA
Jonathan Scott, OT, UFA
Gabe Carimi, OT, UFA
Javier Arenas, CB, UFA
Dwight Lowery, S, UFA
Eric Weems, WR, UFA
Bear Pascoe, TE, UFA
Sean Weatherspoon, OLB, UFA
Charles Godfrey, S, UFA
Antone Smith, RB, UFA
Mike Johnson, RT, UFA
Jacquizz Rodgers, RB, UFA
TJ Yates, QB, UFA
Cliff Matthews, DT, UFA

Restricted Free Agent
Drew Davis, WR, RFA
Patrick DiMarco, FB, RFA

Exclusive Rights Free Agent
Nathan Stupar, ILB, ERFA

UCF FINatic · Feb 28, 2015

Free Agent Signings
WR Brandon Gibson - $1,500,000
OG Lance Louis - $610,000
OT Sam Young - $610,000
DT Al Woods - $700,000
DT Vince Wilfork - $8,000,000
QB Matt Moore - $780,000
K Matt Prater - $510,000
TE Jermaine Gresham - $5,987,648
FB Will Ta'ufo'ou - $510,000
DT Corey Peters - $1,500,000
DE Greg Hardy - $10,599,999
S Tashaun Gipson - $24,000,000
DE Jason Pierre-Paul - $18,600,000
DE Corey Wootton - $510,000
OG Will Rackley - $510,000
TE Zach Miller - $510,000
C Doug Legursky - $510,000
RB Jonathan Dwyer - $510,000
TE Tony Moeaki - $510,000
WR Vincent Brown - $510,000
QB Tyler Thigpen - $510,000
OT Lamar Holmes - $510,000

UCF FINatic · Mar 14, 2015

Cuts
3/01/15
• HB Steven Jackson - $4,916,668...............(-$1,166,668 ----> -$583,334) Post June Cut (number 1 of 2)
• WR Andre Caldwell - $1,550,000..............(-$200,000)
Total Savings: $6,466,668
Dead Cap: $783,334

3/10/15
• HB Jerome Smith - $510,000...............(-$0)
• HB Ronnie Wingo - $510,000...............(-$0)
• Sean Renfree - $596,474...............(-$22,948)
• WR Freddie Martino - $510,000...............(-$0)
• TE Mickey Shuler - $585,000...............(-$0)
• TE Kyle Miller - $510,000...............(-$0)
• OG Harland Gunn - $660,000...............(-$0)
• CB Jordan Mabin - $510,000...............(-$0)
• FS Zeke Motta - $596,474...............(-$22,948)
• FS Sean Baker - $510,000...............(-$0)
Total Savings: $5,497,948
Dead Cap: $45,896

3/14/15
• OT Lamar Holmes - $793,400...............(-$133,400)
• C Joe Hawley - $4,000,000...............(-$1,000,000 ----> -$500,000) Post June Cut
• DT Adam Replogle - $435,000...............(-$0)
• SS Omar Bolden - $778,607...............(-$118,607)
• WR Lance Moore - $1,822,500...............(-$322,500)
Total Savings: $6,007,007
Dead Cap: $752,007

4/23/15
• C Doug Legursky - $510,000...............(-$0)
• OT Sam Young - $610,000...............(-$610,000)
• OG Will Rackley - $510,000...............(-$0,000)
• WR Bernard Reedy $435,000...............(-$0)
• FS Brandon Bishop $435,000...............(-$0)
• OT Lamar Holmes $510,000...............(-$0)
• FB Will Ta'ufo'ou $510,000...............(-$0)
Total Savings: $3,520,000
Dead Cap: $610,000

Combined Savings: $25,158,165
Combined Dead Cap Incurred: $2,513,737

UCF FINatic · May 10, 2015

ATLANTA FALCONS

***If you are lazy and don't want to read everything I ask you to only read the red highlights for each position and the purple highlights regarding my philosophy. Thank you so much! It's been a great year!***

Roster

Quarterbacks
Matt Ryan - $19,500,000...............(-$33,900,000)
Matt Moore - $780,000...............(-$780,000)
Tyler Thigpen - $510,000...............(-$0)
QB Salary: ($20,790,000)

Coming off of his third Pro Bowl, Matt Ryan is the face of our franchise and the center piece of what we plan on doing offensively. In the past three season, only two Quarterbacks have thrown for more yards than Matt Ryan; and one of those QB's threw the ball almost 100 times more than Ryan. That is an incredible feat considering Julio Jones and Roddy White missed a combined 17 games over that span and how much the run game faltered last season. Matt Moore is one of the league's best back-up QB's and we are glad to have him on our team if an injury occurs to Ryan.
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Halfbacks
Latavius Murray - $611,550...............(-$53,100)
Jarryd Haynes - $510,000...............(-$0)
Jonathan Dwyer - $510,000...............(-$0)
HB Salary: ($1,631,550)

Halfback was an area that we wanted to improve during the offseason since Steven Jackson and Devonta Freeman combined for 3.75 yards per carry, 7.46 yards per catch, less than 1,000 total rushing yards, and only 8 total TDs. We felt we upgraded that position, especially from an explosive standpoint, in Latavius Murray. Last season, Murray cruised to averages of 5.2 yards per carry and 8.4 yards per reception. While he has a limited track record we believe Murray will excel in our system compared to Oakland since we have an elite passing attack and a great offensive line. While we wanted to add depth to this position via the draft we weren't able to find the value we wanted. We feel that the HB position is one that is relatively easy to fill in the new age NFL and is more of a product of scheme and the offensive line than the HBs ability (unless we are talking about Adrian Peterson); thus we feel we will be able to excel here. Jarryd Haynes was one of the best Rugby players in the world and recently signed with the 49ers in real life. At 6'2 220 and with 4.5 40 yard dash wheels we like his potential as both a HB and his ability to run trick plays. Dwyer is a proven pounder of a back with a career 4.2 yard per carry average. Him and Haynes will battle during training camp to settle the depth chart.
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Fullbacks
Jalston Fowler - $460,947...............(-$0) [rookie]
FB Salary: ($460,947)

Having paved the way for the best stable of HB's in the nation at Alabama, Fowler had the makings of the best FB to come to the NFL in years. The Titan's agreed selecting him in the 4th round after having coached him at the Senior Bowl. Fowler can do it all as Alabama had him run block, pass block, split out wide, rush, catch, you name it Fowler did it. We think he has a 10+ year NFL career ahead of him.
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Wide Receivers
Julio Jones - $10,176,000...............(-$0)
Alshon Jeffery - $1,447,036..............(-$436,879)
Brandon Gibson - $1,500,000...............(-$1,500,000)
Mario Alford - $479,633...............(-$0) [rookie]
Vincent Brown - $510,000...............(-$0)
WR Salary: ($14,112,669)

Julio Jones (26 years old) and Alshon Jeffery (25 years old) are only getting better at this point in their careers which is scare considering in the 2014 season they combined for 189 catches, 2,726 yards, and 16 touchdowns. We love how both Jeffery and Jones are big receivers at 6'3 and 216+ pounds. Their size and athleticism allow them to challenge defenses deep, intermediate, and underneath. Behind them, we have Brandon Gibson who played admirably in the slot prior to injury. We like Vincent Brown skill set and think he could eventually develop into something down the line. Mario Alford is a small slot WR with serious wheels (4.25 40 yard dash at pro day). Kevin White might have gotten all the accolades at WVU but Alford still caught more TD passes and had a more yards per catch than White in 2014. Alford will challenge Gibson for the slot position out of the gate and will start on the kick off unit having returned 2 kick offs for touchdowns in 2014.
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Tight Ends
Jermaine Gresham - $5,987,648...............(-$5,987,648)
Zach Miller - $510,000...............(-$0)
Tony Moeaki - $510,000...............(-$0)
TE Salary: ($7,007,648)

While we want to be more of a spread team we wanted to have some veteran tight ends that could play if the game plan calls for it. Despite back surgery, we remain excited about Gresham. Two-time Pro Bowler Jermaine Gresham is special in our eyes as he is only 26 years old and is equally skilled as both a blocker and receiver. Behind him we have sound NFL veterans in Zach Miller and Tony Moeaki.
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Offensive Tackles
Jake Matthews - $3,733,977...............(-$13,442,318)
Ryan Schraeder - $585,668...............(-$668)
D.J. Humphries - $676,224...............(-$0) [rookie]
Reid Fragel - $510,000...............(-$0)
OT Salary: ($5,505,869)

Jake Matthews and Ryan Schraeder both showed a lot of promise last year. Ryan Schraeder shined last season recording the second best Pass Blocking Efficiency out of all Right Tackles and Jake Matthews really started to come on at LT towards the end of the year. We think Matthews was thrown into the fire last season spending a good portion of training camp and preseason at RT before an injury forced him back to the left side. Jake Matthews then suffered a high ankle sprain missing just one game before returning and getting better each game of the season. While we were already set at Tackle D.J. Humphries offered too much value for us at #58 to pass up on (he went 24th in the real draft). Humphries for the time being will be our swing tackle backing up both Matthews and Schraeder. If Humphries beats out Matthews or Schraeder during the preseason he would start and the other would play the swing tackle role. Fragel remains a developmental prospect that we like.
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Offensive Guards
Ereck Flowers - $955,731...............(-$0) [rookie]
Jon Asamoah - $4,300,000...............(-$3,200,000)
Zane Beadles - $5,000,000...............(-$2,000,000)
Lance Louis - $610,000...............(-$610,000)
OG Salary: ($10,865,731)

Despite already having a strong core of guards with Jon Asamoah and Zane Beadles it got even better after we decided to select Ereck Flowers. Similar to what the Rams did with Greg Robison, we plan on putting 20-year old Ereck Flowers (the 9th overall pick) right to work as our LG were he can use his athleticism and strength to dominate at the point of attack, get a great push in the run game, and solidify our pass protection. As Flowers ages and improves we will reassess whether we want to leave him inside to dominate or try to move him back out to tackle where he played well at for the U. Jon Asamoah will play RG were he has consistently graded out positively in run blocking and dominating in pass protection finishing in the Top 10 in Pass Blocking Efficiency in two of the last three season. 2012 Pro Bowler Beadles will back up both guard positions after playing well for Jacksonville last season and will also supply veteran leadership along with Lance Louis.
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Centers
Ali Marpet - $588,450...............(-$0) [rookie]
James Stone - $510,000...............(-$0)
B.J. Finney - $477,870...............(-$0) [rookie]
C Salary: ($1,576,320)

Then rookie James Stone played "very solid" at center for the last 9 games of the 2014 last season. That being said, he finds himself on the second team despite his former OC Dirk Koetter singing him praises (http://www.thefalcoholic.com/2014/12/8/7351831/dirk-koetter-james-stone-saved-the-falcons-offensive-line). Ali Marpet was a player that kept impressing me the more I looked into him. Marpet dominated in college, got better each day at the Senior Bowl (man-handling Grady Jarrett during the actual game), finally he tore up the combine receiving the highest SPARQ score out of any of the lineman, like Tampa who selected him in the 2nd round of the draft we think he will be able to contribute right away. B.J. Finney is currently being highlighted as one of the top undrafted rookies in the 2015 class after signing with Pittsburg; despite physical limitations Finney was a sound player for KSU and we think he could develop into a sound center.
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"James has really exceeded expectations for where he started the season and where he is now," Koetter said. "(He's) extremely intelligent and a tough competitor. Honestly, we were scared to death losing Joe (Hawley) and Pete (Konz), getting down to our third center, but James has come in there and done a nice job. He's played very solid."

Defensive Ends
Jason Pierre-Paul - $$18,600,000...............(-$18,600,000)
Greg Hardy - $10,599,999...............(-$10,599,999)
Corey Wootton - $510,000...............(-$0)
Marcus Rush - $420,000...............(-$0) [rookie]
Stansly Maponga - $631,685...............(-$93,370)
DE Salary: ($30,761,684)

Last season the Atlanta Falcons notched only 22 sacks so it was paramount that we upgraded the position in the offseason. We did just that by signing both Jason Pierre-Paul and Greg Hardy. While we were disappointed with Hardy's ban we remain optimistic it will be reduced to somewhere between two and six games following his appeal, as reported by Adam Schefter. Regardless, we are really excited about these two guys for several reasons: they are both only 26 years old and are just beginning to ascend into the prime of their careers, the are both passionate about the game and play with great ferocity, big bodied at 6'4+ and 275+, they can win with speed or power, and they are both equally as good at defending the run as they are at rushing the passer. If you were to combine their stats from the last 16 games that they played you would end up with an insane 137 tackles, 28.5 sacks, 5 forced fumbles, 11 stuffs, 1 fumble recovery and 6 pass deflections; just the two of them would have combined for more total sacks than 5 NFL teams this past season. The synergistic effect of them together will cause many OC's many a sleepless nights. Corey Wootton is also a big bodied DE that can hold his own in the running game while occasionally getting to the QB notching 11 sacks in the last three years. Marcus Rush is rookies who displayed production, discipline, and athleticism at MSU. Maponga remains a developmental prospect.
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Defensive Tackles
Vince Wilfork - $8,000,000...............(-$8,000,000)
Corey Peters - $1,500,000...............(-$1,500,000)
Al Woods - $700,000...............(-$700,000)
Ricky Havili-Heimuli - $435,000...............(-$0)
DT Salary: ($10,635,000)

Corey Peters was the lone starter retained on the defensive line and we are excited to see him form an impending duo with Vince Wilfork. Wilfork is still playing at a high level producing the second most defensive stops among DTs during the season while playing 952 snaps, next to him Peters will also be able to help stop the run after grading positively there in 2014 (while having a Run Stop Percentage that ranked 14th among defensive tackles); Peters adds another dimension with his ability to get after the QB with 6 sacks in his last 17 starts. Al Woods will rotate in when needed and he should fair well in that role after averaging 20.5 tackles and 1.5 sacks over the last two seasons. Havili-Heimuli will continue to be develop by the coaching staff.
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Outside Linebackers
Prince Shembo - $585,146...............(-$225,438)
Marcus Rush - $420,000...............(-$0) [rookie]
Tyler Starr - $521,474...............(-$34,422)
Jacques Smith - $435,000...............(-$0)
OLB Salary: ($1,541,620)

One our weaker areas, we plan on overcoming by scheme and with various packages. First off, our large and imposing defensive line should keep our linebackers free and able to make tackles without having to navigate or going through a lot of trash, making their job easier. Secondly, our elite secondary will allow our linebackers to read and react faster knowing they have help behind them. We also plan to overcome this weakness by various nickel packages. As a whole, dime and nickel packages have increased drastically in the NFL the last couple of seasons; during the 2013 NFL seasons defenses ran nickel or dime packages over 57% of the time. This plays into our favor with our talent and depth at CB and S. Also the success of the Arizona Cardinal's defense with Safety Deone Bucannon playing their Dollar Linebacker position (a safety-linebacker hybrid position) will play into our favor. Both of our back up safeties Dezmen Southward and Ibraheim Campbell showed solid ability to stop the run and could thrive in the Dollar Linebacker position. We plan on using the back up safety that looks the best during preseason and training camp at the Dollar linebacker position and alongside Prince Shembo in a more traditional LB formation. Prince Shembo held his own last year after the Falcons moved him back and forth between inside and outside linebacker. Shembo was Atlanta's only LB to earn a positive grade for the 2014 season and posted an outstanding pass rush productivity of 30% from the inside linebacker position. In our base packages Shembo will play the Sam position with either Ibraheim Campbell or Dezmen Southward playing the Will/Dollar linebacker position. In our nickel and dime packages that we will feature a lot based on our teams strength in the secondary we will play Shembo on obvious running downs and rotate with Southward and Campbell on all other downs. Marcus Rush is listed as both a DE and a OLB as he is versatile. After Hardy's ban is over he will likely move to OLB permanently but we like his ability to play anywhere we ask him too after playing in MSU's vaunted defense. Tyler Starr and Jacques Smith are still young players with bright futures ahead of them. We expect them to continue working their tails off so when an opportunity presents itself they will be ready.
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Inside Linebackers
Eric Kendricks - $1,408,500...............(-$0) [rookie]
Chris Borland - $694,359..............(-$463,077)
Marquis Spruill - $477,870...............(-$128,610)
ILB Salary: ($2,580,729)

Chris Borland's retirement hurt but we are going to keep him on the roster in case he changes his mind and decides to come back to football. He is only 24 years old so we could easily see him changing his mind and coming back the following year if he misses the game, in which we would welcome him back with open arms following his stellar rookie year. PFF rated Borland as the 4th best linebacker and he accumulated 108 tackles, 1 sack, 2 INTs, and 4 pass deflections. Eric Kendricks was the heart of the UCLA defense last year winning the Butkus Award with 149 tackles, 11.5 tackles for a loss, 4 sacks, 3 INTs, 2 pass deflections, and 1 forced fumble. Kendricks is a jack of all trades linebacker and will use his outstanding instincts, desire, athleticism, and playmaking ability to come right in and make an immediate impact for our team. Spruill was a 5th round pick in 2014 and will back up the position.
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Cornerbacks
Chris Harris Jr. - $3,000,000...............(-$8,000,000)
Desmond Trufant - $2,227,117...............(-$3,606,862)
Bene Benwikere - $559,750...............(-$149,250)
Tray Walker - $450,612...............(-$0) [rookie]
Ricardo Allen - $435,000...............(-$0)
CB Salary: ($6,672,479)

After ranking 32nd in passing yards allowed in 2014, upgrading the secondary was a major emphasis of mine. It's safe to say after the additions to this group a "No Fly Zone" has been issued over the city of Atlanta which is crazy considering the oldest cornerback on my team is 25 years old. Pro Bowler Chris Harris Jr. was PFF's #1 rated cornerback in 2014 while allowing a league low 0.57 yards per coverage snap, Desmond Trufant was the 6th rated CB in 2014 while playing the most snaps of anyone in the top 10, Bene Benwikere was PFF's top rookie cornerback and excelled in both the slot and outside allowing only only 1 touchdown all year and making the ESPN.com, Sports Illustrated, and PFF's all rookie teams this past year. Behind those guys we have rookie Tray Walker who was drafted by the Ravens in the 4th round of the NFL draft this year. He is from a smaller school at Texas Southern but has the length, athleticism, and mindset to develop into a starter down the road. Ricardo Allen is a developmental prospect that wraps up this stellar group.
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Strong Safeties
Kemal Ishmael - $596,474...............(-$22,948)
Ibraheim Campbell - $543,023...............(-$0) [rookie]
SS Salary: ($1,139,497)

Kemal Ishmael. Write that name down somewhere and remember it because he is starting to emerge as one hell of a football player. In 2014, he started the last 10 games of the season after William Moore went down with injury and excelled recording 97 tackles, 4 INTs, 6 pass deflections, 1 forced fumble, and a touchdown at only 23 years of age. Ishmael had the 9th highest tackling efficiency of all safeties. Him and Gipson will form an impending duo for the next decade. Ibraheim Campbell went in the 4th round of the NFL draft and has the intangibles and skill set to be successful in the NFL. Campbell is a downfield attacking safety that is physical and adequately breaks down to make open-field tackles. (see Outside Linebacker write-up for additional opportunity for Campbell).
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Free Safeties
Tashaun Gipson - $24,000,000...............(-$24,000,000)
Dezmen Southward - $737,373...............(-$518,124)
FS Salary: ($24,737,373)

Over the last two seasons only one player has had more interceptions than Tashaun Gipson: Richard Sherman (and Gipson missed the last 5 games of this years season with injury). Only 24 years old Gipson is still tending upwards after making the Pro Bowl this year and receiving numerous PFF awards while grading out as their 3rd best safety. In the past two seasons Gipson combined for 147 tackles, 11 INTs, 19 pass deflections, 7 stuffs, 1 forced fumble, and even returned 2 INTs for touchdowns. Gipson will be a staple of our secondary for years to come. Dezmen Southward was a 3rd round pick in 2013 and showed some promise in his rookie season last year (see Outside Linebacker write-up for additional opportunity for Southward).
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Kicker
Matt Prater $510,000...............(-$0)
K Salary: ($510,000)

Remember that SNL skit where Jesus comes down to the Denver Broncos locker room and says, "Matt Prater, I pray to you brother." link for the curious: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bff3albJ0qc Anyways, Prater has a hell of a leg with a long of 64 yards and proved his accuracy in 2013 where he lead the NFL in FG Percentage making 96.2% of his field goal attempts.
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Punter
Matt Bosher - $1,605,000...............(-$2,000,000)
P Salary: ($1,605,000)

The last two seasons Bosher has ranked in the top 6 in Net Punting Average. He was one of only three punters this year to have more punts fair caught than returned.
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Long Snapper
Josh Harris - $760,000...............(-$400,000)
LS Salary: ($760,000)

Reliable long snapper that can contribute in coverage too notching 6 tackles.
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Players: 53/53
Team Salary: $142,894,116
Dead Money: $2,513,737
Total Salary: $145,407,853
Salary Cap: $150,0000,000

Depth Chart

Offense
QB: Matt Ryan - Matt Moore - Tyler Thigpen
HB: Latavius Murray - Jonathan Dwyer - Jarryd Haynes
FB: Jalston Fowler (rookie)
WR1: Julio Jones - Brandon Gibson - Vincent Brown
WR2: Alshon Jeffery - Brandon Gibson - Vincent Brown
WRslot: Brandon Gibson - Mario Alford (rookie)
TE: Jermaine Gresham - Zach Miller - Tony Moeaki (Jalston Fowler will play in some sets)
LT: Jake Matthews - D.J. Humphries (rookie) - Reid Fragel
LG: Ereck Flowers (rookie) - Zane Beadles - Lance Louis
C: Ali Marpet (rookie) - James Stone - B.J. Finney
RG: Jon Asamoah - Zane Beadles - Lance Louis
RT: Ryan Schraeder - D.J. Humphries (rookie) - Reid Fragel

Our offense is going to be similar to the New England Patriots and New Orleans Saints. We plan on running Shotgun to spreading teams out with our wide receivers lining up closer to the boundary (similar to what Baylor does, but not to their extreme extent) which will make the safeties play deeper or wider opening the middle of the field. We will often challenge teams vertically since both Jeffery and Julio excel at going up and getting contested balls; if either one of them get a one on one match up Matt Ryan will have the green light to let it sail. We will have multiple looks from the backfield and might even flirt with the pistol alignment some. Due to the investment and skill set of our offensive line we feel comfortable running deeper routes and plays the take a while to set up (including well timed screens). Pulling the safeties out of the middle will allow Latavius Murray more open rushing lanes for greater chunk yardage. Jalston Fowler is going to be used in the backfield as a lead blocker, rusher, receiver, as well as to pick up the pass rush; he'll be a jack of all trades type. We plan on using our tight ends as blockers a good portion of the time; they will also challenge the flats (often after the WRs pull the CBs away from the LOS with deeper routes) as well as underneath in the middle for routine pick ups of 5-6 yards, on very rare occasions they will be asked to run deeper routes.
Given 65 offensive plays I would expect:
38 passes (12 short, 18 intermediate, 8 deep)
27 rushes (4-5 FB dives or counters given Fowler skill set and 21-22 rushes by Murray; 3 delays, 4 sweeps, 8 dives, 6 counters)
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Defense
LE: Jason Pierre-Paul - Corey Wootton - Stansly Maponga - Marcus Rush (rookie)
DT1: Vince Wilfork - Al Woods - Ricky Havili-Heimuli
DT2: Corey Peters - Al Woods - Ricky Havili-Heimuli
RE: Greg Hardy - Corey Wootton - Stansley Maponga
Sam: Prince Shembo - Marcus Rush (rookie) - Tyler Starr - Jacques Smith
MLB: Eric Kendricks (rookie) - Marquis Spruill (Roster spot saved for Chris Borland if he returns)
Dollar: Dezmen Southward/Ibaheim Campbell (rookie) - Marcus Rush (rookie) - Jacques Smith
CB1: Chris Harris Jr. - Bene Benwikere - Tray Walker (rookie) - Ricardo Allen
CB2: Desmond Trufant - Bene Benwikere - Tray Walker (rookie)- Ricardo Allen
CBslot: Bene Benwikere - Tray Walker (rookie) - Ricardo Allen
SS: Kemal Ishmael - Ibraheim Campbell (rookie)
FS: Tashaun Gipson - Dezmen Southward

We plan on running a hybrid defense similar to that of the Arizona Cardinals of last year. Our defensive line will always have 4 players with their hands in the dirt. Due to the superior ability of our defensive line to get pressure on the QB we won't blitz that often and when we do it will likely involve delay blitzes or safety/cornerback blitzes were we can use the surprise factor to overwhelm offenses. Our Linebacker jobs should be relatively easy with our large and imposing defensive line keeping them free and able to make tackles without having to navigate or going through a lot of trash; our elite secondary will allow our linebackers to read and react faster knowing they have help behind them. Keeping with the current NFL trends we plan on running a lot of nickel and dime packages (in the 2013 season those packages were ran on over 57% of the time) in order to capitalize on our "No Fly Zone" secondary. Our Cornerbacks and safeties are all scheme versatile and we plan on mixing up our coverages a lot. We even plan on moving corners around if it is 3rd down and <7 yards Bene Benwikere will go to the outside and Chris Harris Jr. will lockdown the slot. We plan on using our pressure up front to create errant throws for our secondary, especially ballhawking Tashaun Gipson, to create turnovers. We plan on playing off the success of the Arizona Cardinal's defense were they had Safety Deone Bucannon playing their Dollar Linebacker position (a safety-linebacker hybrid position). Both of our back up safeties Dezmen Southward and Ibraheim Campbell showed solid ability to stop the run and could thrive in the Dollar Linebacker position. We plan on using the back up safety that looks the best during preseason and training camp at the Dollar linebacker position and alongside Prince Shembo in a more traditional 4-3 LB formation. In our 4-3 packages Shembo will play the Sam position with either Ibraheim Campbell or Dezmen Southward playing the Will/Dollar linebacker position. In our nickel and dime packages that we will feature a lot based on our teams strength in the secondary we will play Shembo on obvious running downs and rotate with Southward and Campbell on all other downs.
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Special Teams
K: Matt Prater
P: Matt Bosher
LS: Josh Harris
KOR: Mario Alford (rookie) - Jarryd Haynes
PR: Mario Alford (rookie) - Jarryd Haynes

Not much to say here other than our kicking and punting game should be solid. Mario Alford is a burner who ran a 4.25 40 yard dash at his Pro Day and returned two kick offs for touchdowns this past year. Jarryd Haynes offers trick play appeal as he is a former rugby player with experience laterally passing the ball in addition to kicking the ball.
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Draft Class

1.028 - Eric Kendricks, LB, UCLA - $1,408,500 (Actual 45th overall -17)
2.039 - Ereck Flowers, OL, Miami - $955,731 (Actual 9th overall +30)
2.058 - D.J. Humphries, OL, Florida - $676,224 (Actual 24th overall +34)
3.078 - Ali Marpet, OL, Hobart - $588,450 (Actual 61st overall +17)
4.116 - Ibraheim Campbell, S, Northwestern - $543,023 (Actual 115th overall +1)
5.153 - Mario Alford, WR, West Virginia - $479,633 (Actual 238th overall -85)
5.156 - B.J. Finney, OL, Kansas State - $477,870 (undrafted)
6.180 - Jalston Fowler, RB, Alabama - $460,947 (Actual 108th overall +72)
7.200 - Tray Walker, CB, Texas Southern - $450,612 (Actual 136th overall +64)

Trades

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