The Atlanta Falcons poached veteran defenders Kaden Elliss and David Onyemata from the New Orleans Saints a couple offseasons ago. Overall, both have done well to help improve the Falcons defense.
But while Elliss has been a boost for the team's pass rusher, Onyemata has not been. For that reason, along with the possibility of giving youngsters Ruke Orhorhoro and Brandon Dorlus more opportunities in 2025, Bleacher Report's NFL Scouting Department argued this week that Onyemata is one of Atlanta's top potential cut candidates for the 2025 offseason.
"If the Falcons believe they can embrace a youth movement on the interior than David Onyemata could be on the chopping block," the BR staff wrote. "They could free up $8.1 million of cap space. Onyemata is 32, but he was a productive player this season and still serves a role as an elite run-stuffer.
"The question is whether that's worth paying up for on a Falcons defense that needs to be better at rushing the passer."
Onyemata is one of two defensive linemen who made Bleacher Report's cut candidates list, with the other being former Pro Bowler Grady Jarrett.
The Falcons face a difficult decision whether or not to keep Jarrett mostly because of nostalgic reasons. With Onyemata, it's more of a financial question.
Onyemata's cap number balloons to $16.925 million in 2025. That's a bump from only $7.65 million this past season.
With Onyemata not a real contributor in the pass rush, and the Falcons expected to be up against the salary cap this offseason, almost $17 million for Onyemata doesn't sound like an efficient way to spend resources. The Falcons will save $8.075 million if they release Onyemata before June 1. If they designate him a post-June 1 cut, they will save $10.5 million.
If the Falcons can wait to release him post-June 1, moving on from Onyemata makes a little more sense. But taking on a dead cap hit of $8.85 million with a pre-June 1 release when the team will already be accepting a sizeable dead cap hit from Kirk Cousins isn't ideal.
Yes, the move will save the Falcons more than $8 million. But can the team find a defensive line replacement as good at stopping the run for less?
The answer will be yes if the Falcons are confident they can turn to 2024 draft picks Orhorhoro and Dorlus next season. But the pair barely played as rookies.
Bleacher Report suggested that was because Onyemata was in the way. But one could just as easily argue the pair didn't earn any playing time during their first seasons.
Paving the way for both second-year players to receive significant snaps will be a bad move if they don't make significant jumps before 2025.
The Falcons will have to project whether Orhorhoro and Dorlus are capable of major improvements early this offseason before deciding Onyemata's future.
