Thankfully, the Falcons, like the Saints, have little cap space for 2021
Terry Fontenot was hired on by the Saints NFC South rival, the Atlanta Falcons, but he may not have much of a chance to sign their big-name free agents.
With players like defensive end Trey Hendrickson hitting the open market, the Saints will do what they can to retain their top-tier talent.
Some will ultimately head elsewhere as is what happens with free agency, and it’s unlikely they join Terry Fontenot in Atlanta, a franchise that will also have little cap space in 2021. That should be seen as a slight win for the Saints.
New Orleans, since losing in the Divisional Round to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, has seen several coaches head elsewhere includes Sean Payton‘s assistant Dan Campbell who is now the Lions head coach. Aaron Glenn will be joining Campbell to serve as his defensive coordinator.
Fontenot is the only one heading to manage another team though as he’ll likely have the say in player personnel for Atlanta which will be especially interesting considering Matt Ryan‘s shaky level of play and the Falcons’ top-five pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
The Falcons are in a much tricker cap situation than it may seem though, so adding to the talent pool in Atlanta may be difficult. They have the third-least cap space entering the offseason with only Philadelphia Eagles sandwiched between the two organizations.
Despite how much he wants to add a player like Trey Hendrickson or Marcus Williams to his roster to battle his former team, it’s increasingly unlikely that the Falcons are able to sign a high-caliber player this offseason.
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That’s good news for the Saints as Fontenot knows first hand just how solid some of their players are. Sadly, having been in an organization that drafts extremely well, Fontenot will be taking that knowledge and skillset to a divisional rival.