The Atlanta Falcons defense took a massive hit in their first preseason game against the Miami Dolphins. Their rookie EDGE rusher, Bralen Trice, suffered a significant knee injury in the second quarter, and the medical staff carted him off the field. Trice will miss the entire season due to an ACL tear.
The Falcons, already thin at outside linebacker, acquired a Pro Bowler on Wednesday.
The Atlanta Falcons acquired a 4-time Pro Bowler from the AFC East
The Patriots traded Matthew Judon to the Falcons for a 2025 third-round pick. Judon has a base salary of $6.5 million for 2024 and seeks a new deal. However, the Falcons entered Thursday with limited cap space and needed to free up the cap to afford his base salary.
They restructured the contract of their elite offensive lineman.
The Atlanta Falcons restructured their 2-time Pro Bowler’s contract
The Falcons restructured Chris Lindstrom’s contract by converting $11.2 million of his base salary into a signing bonus, freeing nearly $9 million in cap space. As a result, his base salary dropped from $12.5 million to $1.125 million, while his cap hit dropped from $18 million to $8.9 million for 2024. Finally, his $11.2 million signing bonus will be spread evenly over the remaining five years of his contract.
Restructuring Lindstrom’s contract allows the Falcons to acquire Judon and sign a Pro Bowl safety.
The Atlanta Falcons signed a Pro Bowl safety
The Falcons signed Justin Simmons to a 1-year, $8 million contract. Simmons visited with the Falcons earlier this week after visiting with the Saints last week. This news comes after their projected starter, DeMarcco Hellams, suffered a serious ankle injury against the Dolphins, and will miss a significant amount of time.
