3. David Onyemata, DT
The Falcons cap situation creates some difficult choices – especially if they’re telling the truth about keeping Cousins. It thins Atlanta’s roster of some depth but also means that some of their productive players could wind up losing their jobs.
This could be the case for David Onyemata. His age-32 season wasn’t the most of Atlanta’s problems as he ranked 38th out of 118 qualifying interior defenders according to PFF but his performance also dropped off considerably, going from an 83.3 overall grade in 2023 to a 66.2 overall grade last season.
Onyemata would be part of the same thought process that ended Jarrett’s tenure in Atlanta on Monday morning. Set to turn 33 in November, Onyemata is one of Atlanta’s aging defenders and was targeted as a potential cap casualty by The Athletic’s Josh Kendall.
“Atlanta has to get younger on the defensive line,” Kendall wrote. “The three defensive linemen who played the highest percentage of snaps last year – Jarrett, David Onyemata and Eddie Goldman – will all be 31 or 32 next season. The Falcons drafted Ruke Orhorhoro in the second round and Brandon Dorlus in the fourth round last year to be ready for the upcoming transition, and it’s now time to figure out if either of those guys was worth the picks. That means moving on from some veterans up front and there’s a mathematical case that Jarrett should be the first to go.”
The numbers didn’t lie for Jarrett and they could say the same for Onyemata. Releasing him would free up $8 million in cap space for next season and get the Falcons up to $29.4 million if they can find a trade partner for Pitts. While the Cousins situation looms, it could be the best way to bring in reinforcements for next season and could see a bunch of new faces in Atlanta next season.