The Atlanta Falcons have made some major moves already this offseason, but there’s still a lot more work to be done. Next up on the agenda for general manager Terry Fontenot is figuring out what to do with Pro Bowl defensive lineman Grady Jarrett.
Obviously, you want to keep Jarrett, or any player of his caliber, but you have to consider the many variables, including cost, scheme fit, and if Jarrett wants to be part of a rebuild. That last element is important because while the team refuses to admit it, this is indeed a rebuilding year for the Falcons.
Team owner Arthur Blank made an appearance on Atlanta’s flagship sports radio network, 92.9 The Game, and talked about wanting Jarrett back.
“Absolutely, we love Grady. He’s a great leader, great player. Grady makes the whole thing better,” stated Blank to the Dukes and Bell show. “So, we’re working hard to try and make that happen.”
Arthur Blank shares a lot of the fans sentiment around Grady and the mindfulness to keep him here with the Falcons. However, during Grady Jarrett’s seven-year NFL career, he has only experienced two winning seasons (2016, 2017).
With 2022 looking like another losing season, nobody could blame Jarrett if he decides he doesn’t want to stay on a losing team going into his 30s.
Not to mention, Grady is already the seventh-highest-paid interior defensive lineman in terms of total value ($68 million). The average total value above him is $85.3 million, obviously skewed by Aaron Donald’s $135 million value ($75.4 million without Donald).
“But we’re also being thoughtful about it because you don’t want to put yourself back into the same situation that we just got out of [Matt Ryan’s massive cap hits]. But we love Grady,” Blank continued.
Arthur Blank added that while he wants Grady, he also doesn’t want to see the team stuck in the same bind they have been in the past few seasons. The Falcons are in a great spot financially next year (fourth-most available cap), and a deal with Jarrett may not be in the best interest of either party.
