Tag: matt gono

Giants waive Kaden Smith, re-sign David Sills

The New York Giants have waived TE Kaden Smith and re-signed WR David Sills.

The New York Giants have waived tight end Kaden Smith, creating an additional gap at the position.

Smith, 24, played in nine games in 2021 before being placed on inured reserve with a knee injury. He was claimed by the Giants off waivers in September of 2019 after being cut by the San Francisco 49ers, who selected him in the 6th round out of Stanford in that spring’s NFL draft.

As a rookie with the Giants, Smith caught 31 passes for 268 yards and three touchdowns and appeared to develop a rapport with fellow rookie, quarterback Daniel Jones.

But Smith couldn’t build on that relationship. He only caught 21 passes for 145 yards in his next 24 games and, now, becomes expendable.

Smith was scheduled to earn $2.54 million this year, all in salary, so his release will increase the Giants’ salary cap space by that amount.

The Giants now have just three tight ends under contract for 2022 — Jake Hausmann, Rysen John and Chris Myarick.

Meanwhile, the team also announced that wide receiver David Sills, who was an impending exclusive rights free agent, has been re-signed.

Finally, the Giants made the signing of offensive lineman Matt Gono official.

[lawrence-related id=689066,689023,689056]

Report: Giants signing former Falcons OT Matt Gono

The Giants are reportedly making an addition to their offensive line group.

The New York Giants are expected to overhaul their offensive line (again) this offseason and began the process on Wednesday by reportedly signing offensive tackle Matt Gono to a one-year deal.

Gono, 26 in May, was cut by the Atlanta Falcons in January, after missing the 2021 season with a neck injury. He was originally signed by the Falcons as an undrafted free agent out of Wesley in 2018 and played in 21 games for Atlanta over two seasons (2019 and 2020), starting four.

Gono (6-foot-4, 305 pounds) was born in Liberia and played his high school ball at Cinnaminson in Burlington County, New Jersey.

The Giants do not have many offensive lineman under contract going into free agency. Only third-year players Andrew Thomas and Matt Peart have contracts for the 2022 season.

[lawrence-related id=688986,688982,688979]

[listicle id=688896]

Cardinals brought in former Falcons OL Matt Gono for visit

Gono was recently released by the Falcons after missing the whole 2021 season.

The Arizona Cardinals could announce another player signing a deal for 2022. According to the NFL transaction report on Wednesday, they had offensive lineman Matt Gono in for a visit.

Those visits are often what precedes a signing.

Gono is a 6-4, 305-lb tackle who spent the last four seasons with the Atlanta Falcons. He was an undrafted rookie out of Wesley in 2018.

He made the roster in 2018 but did not play a game, and he was active only for the season finale. In 2019-2020, Gono appeared in 21 games, including all 16 in 2020. He started four games.

He signed a one-year $3.4 million restricted free agent tender

However, he spent the entire season on the physically unable to perform list. He had offseason surgery, reportedly for a herniated disc, and showed up to training camp with a neck brace.

He was released last week.

[listicle id=464787]

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

Latest show:

Previous shows:

and

 

Falcons release offensive lineman Matt Gono

On Friday, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the Falcons and Matt Gono have mutually agreed to his release.

Prior to the 2021 season, the Atlanta Falcons let veteran center Alex Mack leave in free agency and released guard James Carpenter.

This left two vacancies along the offensive line and while Matt Hennessy took over at center as expected, Matt Gono was unable to step in at guard due to a shoulder injury that required season-ending surgery. Rookie Jalen Mayfield ended up starting at left guard with mixed results.

On Friday, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the Falcons and Gono have mutually agreed to his release.

Gono was the team’s swing tackle prior to his injury in 2021. His release gives him a head start in free agency since he was no longer in Atlanta’s long-term plans.

From 2019-2020, Gono appeared in 16 games for the Falcons, with four starts.

[lawrence-related id=89393,89359,89357,89342]

[listicle id=89390]

Report: Falcons OL Matt Gono had surgery for undisclosed injury

As if the Falcons’ offensive line wasn’t thin enough, Atlanta could be without a key player.

As if the Falcons’ offensive line wasn’t already thin enough, the team could be without a key player. Matt Gono, who signed a second-round tender earlier in the offseason, will miss an indefinite amount of the 2021 season after undergoing surgery for an undisclosed injury, per Michael Rothstein of ESPN.

Gono, who many slated to start in for the Falcons at left guard, only saw one game in 2020 where he played this position. In his Week 16 matchup against Kansas City, Gono came away with a pass-blocking grade of 18 and allowed for a sack, three QB hits and two hurries. The other four games in which Gono was featured saw him play right tackle in relief of Kaleb McGary.

This season was supposed to be a breakout year for the young offensive lineman, and one that saw an improvement along the offensive line as a unit under Arthur Smith.

The likely players to fill in for Gono at left guard include Matt Hennessy, Jalen Mayfield, Drew Dalman, or any other potential free-agent signings that may come. Trai Turner, Nick Easton, and Dennis Kelly headline the top available free agents for the Falcons to choose from.

[lawrence-related id=74392,74385,74371,74342]

[listicle id=74076]

Falcons OL Matt Gono signs second-round tender

When you’re in as bad of salary cap shape as the Atlanta Falcons, every dollar must be accounted for.

When you’re in as bad of salary cap shape as the Atlanta Falcons, every dollar must be accounted for. That’s the reason for the team’s frugal spending over the first wave of free agency.

Not only have the Falcons been shopping in the bargain bin, they’ve been forced to part with multiple starters from last season. One of the minor moves Atlanta made was applying a second-round tender to restricted free agent Matt Gono, who’s served as a swing tackle and backup guard for the team over the past few years.

On Thursday, the Falcons announced that Gono signed his second-round tender, which pays him $3.3 million and keeps him in Atlanta for another year at least.

Gono, 24, has played in 21 games (four starts) since signing in Atlanta as an undrafted free agent out of Wesley College in 2018. With veteran left guard James Carpenter out of the picture after the team released him last month, Gono could potentially end up starting next season.

His role in 2021 likely depends on what the Falcons do over the remainder of free agency and in the upcoming NFL draft. 

[lawrence-related id=68325,68230,68184,68552,68543]

[vertical-gallery id=68190]

A quick explanation for the Falcons’ silence in free agency

The Falcons free agency silence can be summed up by lack of cap space for the 2022 season.

The Falcons may have been silent on Monday as the legal tampering period began, but they are far from finished from making headlines with cap transactions looming.

Given the fact that Atlanta has the lowest roster total paired with crippling cap deficits, the team was never expected to be in play for top-tier targets this offseason. Of the Falcons’ current 43 players on the roster, about a third are made up of practice squad/reserve players.

Atlanta did manage to sneak in news late Monday afternoon by announcing that Matt Gono was given a second-round tender. The price tag for a second round tender for the 2021 season rests at $3.38 million, which is nearly double his cap hit from the past three seasons combined.

Gono’s deal is somewhat comparable to other free agents signed this offseason, many of whom will see their cap hit climb higher in 2022. So why can’t the Falcons offer the same type of deal for a better player?

It’s very simple. The Falcons only have 19 players on the roster next season and just $32 million to spend on filling it out. Seattle and Pittsburgh both have 19 players on their rosters for the 2022 season. The difference is that they have $116 million and $127 million respectively to spend next year –nearly $100 million more than Atlanta.

If we thought this free agency period was dreadful, the Falcons could be forced to part ways with some very instrumental players next offseason. Grady Jarrett, Deion Jones and Dante Fowler are early favorites given their 2022 cap hits.

This also makes restructuring Matt Ryan’s contract very hard as he is already slated to have a cap hit of $41.6 million in 2022, higher than his $40.9 cap hit in 2021. Ryan’s willingness to restructure his deal in years past have caused his cap hit to balloon. Any further restructure could see Ryan have a cap hit north of $50 million in 2022 and 2023.

[lawrence-related id=65576]

Not only do the Falcons have to clear nearly $14 million in cap space by 4:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 17, but they also have to do so without touching Ryan’s contract. Because Atlanta restructured his contract on March 25, 2020, the Falcons will have to live with his cap hit until the same date in 2021.

Left tackle Jake Matthews has been the lone member of the team to see his contract restructured thus far.

[lawrence-related id=67740,67774,67704,65576]

[vertical-gallery id=67700]