Falcons Create Cap Space with New Deion Jones Contract
The Atlanta Falcons can breathe again when it comes to the salary cap.
The Falcons converted a little more than $4 million of linebacker Deion Jones' contract into a signing bonus this week. This contract restructuring provides the Falcons about $2.78 million in cap space this season according to ESPN's Field Yates.
Prior to restructuring Jones' deal, the Falcons had just $330,000 in salary cap space according to Over The Cap. When it comes to the NFL salary cap, that's essentially no space to sign a player.
Teams don't need a lot of salary cap space once the season starts, but no space is a bad thing. Injuries occur routinely in the NFL, and salary cap space is essential to adding players to the roster for depth during the season.
That may be particularly important for the Falcons and GM Terry Fontenot. The new Atlanta general manager has shown a willingness to search the open market constantly for roster upgrades. It's easier to get those upgrades if one has money to spend.
The Falcons now have a little more money to spend thanks to offering Jones an additional signing bonus.
This is the second time this offseason the Falcons restructured Jones' contract. The team and linebacker agreed to defer $4 million of his $8.2 million base salary for this season until next year. That restructure also made Jones' 2022 salary of $9.64 fully guaranteed.
Jones signed his contract -- a four-year, $57 million extension -- in the summer of 2019.
Statistically, the linebacker had one of his best seasons last year, posting 106 combined tackles and 4.5 sacks. He also had nine tackles for loss, 10 quarterback hits and two interceptions.
The Falcons drafted Jones in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He has 515 combined tackles and 6.5 sacks in 69 career games. Jones made the Pro Bowl in 2017.
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