Falcons Cap Space 2021 : How Much Cap Space Did The Atlanta falcons Free Up By Trading Julio Jones To The Titans?

Falcons Cap Space 2021: With the blockbuster deal to move on from Julio Jones, the Falcons may be making winning moves in terms of freeing up cap space.

Julio Jones was and probably still is one of the best receivers in the game. Injuries took away a lot of his performance last year, but he still managed to average 85.7 yards per game in 9 starts.

Now that the Falcons have moved on from Julio Jones, they’re also moving on from his contract. Julio Jones signed a 3 year, $66 million contract which stays in effect till 2024.

That means up until 2024, he’d be counting for at least $20 million against the Falcons’ cap. So, now that the Falcons did trade him, how much money did they free up?

Also Read: Julio Jones To Titans : How will Tennessee Titans Roster Line Up For NFL 2021 After Acquiring All-Pro Julio Jones

Falcons Cap Space 2021: How Much Cap Space Did The Atlanta falcons Free Up By Trading Julio Jones To The Titans?

Prior to trading Julio Jones, the Falcons had only $358,694 of cap space, according to NFLPA data. This is also why it was such a big deal for the Falcons to shift the roster around because they couldn’t sign any of their draft picks.

Now, however, they more than have that ability. By waiting until June 1st, the Falcons were able to take advantage of rules that allow them to save more money than they would have otherwise.

As of now, the Falcons only have to account for $7.75 million of Jones’ remaining bonuses in 2021 instead of the full amount, and thus they’re saving about $15.3 million in cap space instantly.

In 2022, they’ll absorb a $15.5 million dead cap hit, which is still miles better than the situation they would have faced if they trade Julio Jones before June 1st. A pre June 1st trade would have left the Falcons with a $23.25 million dead cap. This is because the NFL allows teams to spread their dead cap hit over two seasons (the current and next one) instead of absorbing it all at once.

What Did The Atlanta Falcons Get For Julio Jones?

The Falcons walked away with a high value pick after trading Julio Jones. Of course, nobody would have ever expected that a player Jones’ caliber would be traded for anything short of a superstar, but times have changed.

As details of the trade become official, here is what we know. The Falcons received the Titans’ 2022 2nd round pick, 2023 4th round pick in exchange for Julio Jones and a 6th round pick in 2023.

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