Possible Cuts
CB Desmond Trufant
Desmond Trufant is finally entering the part of his deal where his salaries are not guaranteed anymore. His play as a top-10 cornerback in the NFL just hasn’t lived up to that top-10 billing. That being said, Trufant is still in a top-20 cornerback and had he stayed healthy, Trufant would be in that top 10. The Falcons should keep Trufant since it would only save $4.95 million towards the cap, and replacing him would cost more than keeping him.
SS Keanu Neal
While Keanu Neal is listed here, it would be very surprising to see him cut. For one, the fifth-year option automatically guarantees in case Neal gets injured for the season during his fourth year. So there wouldn’t be any cap savings to cut Neal. On top of that, he was a Pro Bowl player during his last full season starting. Assuming they can get him healthy for at least 12 games in 2020, the Falcons should see a better overall defense if Neal is in it.
S Ricardo Allen
Ricardo Allen is set up to count $7.375 million towards the cap in 2020 and $8.375 million towards it in 2021. His production as a safety isn’t warranting those numbers and the Falcons could save $3.125 million in 2020 with his cut. That being said, he’s a captain and a leader on defense. His presence is invaluable, but maybe without him someone else steps up.