Whew. New Orleans Saints free agent defensive tackle David Onyemata agreed to terms on a three-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons, as first reported by ESPN’s Mike Garafolo, who adds that the contract is valued at $35 million with $24.5 million in guarantees. That’s quite a payday after Onyemata earned about $26 million on his last contract with New Orleans.
Onyemata fell off a cliff after being suspended for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drugs policy in 2021, but the Falcons can spend their money however they want to. This move reunites him with his old position coach Ryan Nielsen (who developed him in New Orleans) and former Saints personnel executive Terry Fontenot (who scouted and drafted him out of Manitoba).
This departure also means that roughly $10.1 million in dead money will accelerate onto the Saints salary cap from past restructures with Onyemata. But the Saints should qualify for a fourth- or fifth-round compensatory pick in 2024, depending on how their other moves in free agency play out.
More to come…
