3 Atlanta Falcons most likely to have their contracts restructured this spring

Where things currently stand, the Atlanta Falcons are in a fantastic position when it comes to the salary cap. Atlanta is roughly $30 million under the cap, which puts them in the 14th-best spot in the NFL, as well as roughly $10 million better than league average. Because they are not paying their starting quarterback a ton of cash, there is plenty of money to be spread around to other players.

However, I think it is going to take more than just acquiring the right quarterback of the future this offseason to get Atlanta into serious contention mode. The Falcons do play in one of the worst divisions in football. While the Carolina Panthers are expected to be terrible once again, but the New Orleans Saints have players and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have won the last three division crowns.

Right now, the Falcons have enough cap space to pursue and land a marquee free agent or two. To me, it would be even sweeter if they could land three. For them to be able to do that, some of the team's most savvy and respected veterans will need to agree to a contract restructure to free up even more space. Fortunately for Atlanta, the best candidates to get money back from are team guys.

Here are three players general manager Terry Fontenot needs to look at restructuring their contracts.

3. Chris Lindstrom is an $18 million cap hit for 2024 NFL season

Chris Lindstrom is arguably the team's best player. He is one of the best interior offensive linemen in the league. While he may not play a glamorous position, Lindstrom's value to this franchise cannot be overstated. Thus, he has been given quite the bump in pay on his five-year contract extension he signed last season. He is slated to make $102.5 million over five years through the 2028 season.

To date, Lindstrom has not even played a down under his new contract. He was on the books for a little more than $13 million last year. Now, he will be slated to make $18 million this year, all the way up to $23.25 million in 2027. Fortunately for the Falcons, there is some money to move around when it comes to his annual signing bonuses. He will be due $5.5 million annually in that regard through 2027.

Overall, I think the money is there for the Falcons to potentially get Lindstrom to agree to a restructure. However, I know for a fact that there are two more seasoned veterans over him who have been with the team longer and could be due for some more guaranteed money differed to future years. Because Lindstrom has not tasted this bump in pay just yet, I would say this feels very unlikely.

Lindstrom may be the ultimate team guy, but he should be able to enjoy his new salary for a little bit.