Paul Soliai: A likely 2016 cap casualty for Atlanta Falcons

Paul Soliai is not going to take less money. It seems that the Atlanta Falcons are planning on cutting him after June 1st to save as much money as possible.

According to NFL reporter for Bleacher Report Jason Cole, the Atlanta Falcons are planning on cutting nose tackle Paul Soliai after June 1st to take as little dead money on the 2016 NFL Salary Cap.

Soliai and his agent had conversations with the Atlanta Falcons organization about taking a pay cut in 2016, three years into his five-year deal with the team. Paul Soliai refused, as he would prefer to test his luck on the free agency market after the Falcons plan on cutting him.

There was some debate about when the Atlanta Falcons were going to release Paul Soliai from the final three years of his five-year deal with the team. While those close to the situation knew that a cut wasn’t going to come before the start of the new league year on March 9th, would the Atlanta Falcons want to hold on to Soliai a bit longer before the June 1st cut date?

Cutting Soliai on March 9th would cause the Atlanta Falcons to have a $4.2 million salary cap hit. If the organization chose to wait until June 1st before releasing Paul Soliai, then the Atlanta Falcons would be able to take only a $1.4 million cap hit in 2016 and a $2.8 million in 2017, ultimately lessening the blow of Soliai’s guaranteed money.

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While it isn’t easy to find a suitable replacement at one-technique nose tackle for Paul Soliai in free agency, this could mean that the Atlanta Falcons are leaning towards drafting a defensive tackle with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. Top prospects at that position include Louisville’s Sheldon Rankins, Alabama’s A’Shawn Robinson, and Ole Miss’ Robert Nkemdiche.

Deciding to cut Paul Soliai is likely another situation that both head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Thomas Dimitroff had to get on the same page. Soliai may not have been an ideal scheme fit for Dan Quinn’s 4-3 Under Base or isn’t worth the contract Dimitroff gave him in spring of 2014.

Either way, it’s obvious that the Atlanta Falcons are going in a different direction at defensive tackle in 2016, as they will have to replace a starter of the last two seasons in Paul Soliai, who will reportedly become a free agent after June 1st.

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Soliai’s departure could also open up more opportunities for young interior defensive linemen on the team in Ra’Shede Hageman and Grady Jarrett, both of whom could conceivably start in Atlanta in 2016.

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