The Atlanta Falcons have restructured Matt Ryan’s contract to get under the 2021 salary cap. By doing so it increases Ryan’s cap hit next season. But does that mean the team won’t be in the market to draft a quarterback at No. 4 in the 2021 NFL Draft?
Carl Dukes doesn’t think that’s necessarily the case.
“They took their highest paid player, Matt Ryan, and they converted some money. He was due $23 million, they took $21 of that made it guaranteed, which is called automatic conversion and spread it out over three years,” Dukes said. “When you do this it also extends the player in essence, but now does this change your draft strategy when you talk about what we may do with the fourth overall pick?
“According to people I just spoke with, the cap number could go down to $22 million in 2022 if Ryan is cut with a June 1 designation. What we’re saying is the numbers we’re seeing which is $48 million dollars (dead cap), $40 million cap hit you’re not going to move on from him in 2022. Is he going to be here for two more years or longer, because of this financial commitment? I only put this out there to say with this information, there is still a chance. I said I wouldn’t because I think you could build your team, but they could still draft a quarterback.”
