The Atlanta Falcons made the surprising announcement that they will be releasing veteran cornerback Casey Hayward after only one season with the team. The move will save the team $5 million in cap space, with a dead cap hit of $2 million.
Hayward, turning 34 this season, only played in six games in 2022 after suffering a season-ending shoulder injury but played well in those appearances -- well enough that many thought the team would keep him around for the 2023 season.
Now that the pair have parted ways, is it reasonable to think that this was a hint at who the Falcons could be targeting in next week's NFL Draft?
General manager Terry Fontenot has already added to the cornerback room with the additions of Mike Hughes via free agency and former third overall pick Jeff Okudah via trade. Despite those moves, there are plenty of draftees within their range at pick-eight that could continue to bolster the secondary.
Christian Gonzalez from Oregon, Joey Porter from Penn State, and Devon Witherspoon from Illinois have all been mocked within range of the Falcons. Each offers valuable traits that would complement A.J. Terrell and would slot in perfectly as a now vacant spot as the number two corner.
Of course, all of this depends on what roles they see for their current group of players, but experts see this as a very deep class. So even if they don't take a cornerback at eight, there is still a very good chance that they elect to deepen their group at some point next weekend.
The Falcons have been one of the more active teams this offseason and have already made several additions to the defensive side of the ball. They've signed safety Jessie Bates, defensive linemen Calais Campbell and David Onyemata, edge rusher Bud Dupree, and linebacker Kaden Ellis among a number of other moves.
At this point, it feels like just about anything is on the table for Atlanta.
