Falcons GM Terry Fontenot Completes Reset After Calvin Ridley Trade
The Atlanta Falcons look very different from three years ago and appear to be officially in a new era after trading wide receiver Calvin Ridley to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Tuesday.
The move ends a two-year run of deals that said goodbye to Julio Jones, Matt Ryan, Deion Jones and Ridley ... all of whom were considered at one point to be a franchise cornerstone.
With all of those players in new cities, Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot can officially start fresh.
On his blank canvas, to which he's added Kyle Pitts, Drake London and Richie Grant among other young talents, the Falcons look like a brand new team. And it's off to a good start. Atlanta sits atop the NFC standings with a 4-4 record.
By trading Ridley, the Falcons now have over $68 million in cap space, according to Spotrac. Only the Chicago Bears have more money to spend.
The Falcons are using this season to build a foundation, but teams that strip down to the bare bones usually don't perform very well. However, Atlanta finds itself in first place halfway through the season.
Now that the past is behind the Falcons, they can officially move forward to build their best possible team to try and reach the mountaintop for the first time in franchise history.
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