The Atlanta Falcons will reportedly place a second-round tender on restricted free agent wide receiver Taylor Gabriel this offseason.
The Atlanta Falcons are looking to get back to the Super Bowl in 2017. Though they don’t have a ton of cap space, it seems that general manager Thomas Dimitroff has already addressed one of their most important needs: re-signing free agent wide receiver Taylor Gabriel.
Or at least, Dimitroff is making it all the more easier for that to happen. According to ESPN’s Vaughn McClure, the “Falcons will place on second-round tender on restricted free agent [wide receiver] Taylor Gabriel at $2.81 million”.
Source tells me Falcons will place second-round tender on restricted free agent WR Taylor Gabriel at $2.81... https://t.co/veimDQAXyZ
— vaughn mcclure (@vxmcclure23) March 3, 2017
Gabriel signed with Atlanta in 2016 as a free agent after being cut by the Cleveland Browns. He was a huge part of the Falcons’ dynamic passing game with 35 catches for 579 yards and six touchdowns.
Using the second-round tender on Gabriel is wise for Dimitroff, as Gabriel will only cost $2.81 million going up against the 2017 salary cap. He could command more on the open market, possibly heading to teams like the Los Angeles Rams or the San Francisco 49ers.
By using the second-round tender on Gabriel, it ensures that teams like the Rams or 49ers would owe the Falcons a future second-round pick if they were to sign him in restricted free agency. Gabriel will likely play one more year in Atlanta on the second-round tender. He would then hit unrestricted free agency in spring 2018.
This is a great, no-brainer move for the Falcons. Gabriel emerged as a great complementary receiver in Atlanta. He, Julio Jones and Mohamed Sanu make up a big part of the Falcons’ elite receiving corps.
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Atlanta has used the second-round tender before pragmatically to keep key restricted free agents in-house. The most notable use of it of late was on right tackle Ryan Schraeder. If Atlanta re-signs fullback Patrick DiMarco, the Falcons should be in great position to sustain excellence on offense next season.
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