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Free-Agent Setup: Atlanta Falcons' DL stars may be costly

By The Sports Xchange
Atlanta Falcons kicker Matt Bryant (3) kicks a 50-yard field goal against the Dallas Cowboys during the first half of an NFL game on November 12, 2017 at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Photo by David Tulis/UPI
Atlanta Falcons kicker Matt Bryant (3) kicks a 50-yard field goal against the Dallas Cowboys during the first half of an NFL game on November 12, 2017 at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Photo by David Tulis/UPI | License Photo

The Atlanta Falcons must decide if they want to re-sign defensive tackle Dontari Poe, defensive end Adrian Clayborn and kicker Matt Bryant.

Poe played last season on an incentive-laden contract on a base salary of $8 million. He bet on himself and had a solid season. He played 868 defensive snaps, the second highest on the team behind Grady Jarrett's 870. He also played eight snaps on offense. Poe was the seventh highest-paid defensive tackle in the league.

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The Dolphins' Ndamukong Suh is slated to be the highest-paid defensive tackle in the league at $16.9 million next season. Clayborn led the team in sacks with 9.5. Bryant will turn 43 on May 29, but showed no signs of slowing down and he could be a candidate to get the franchise tag.

Unit-by-unit depth chart as of Super Bowl LII. Injured players listed as starters if that was their status when injured.

*Asterisk indicates player ended 2017 season on injured reserve.

QUARTERBACKS (C): Starter - Matt Ryan. Backup - Matt Schaub.

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RUNNING BACKS (C): Starters - Devonta Freeman, FB Derrick Coleman. Backups -- Tevin Coleman, Terron Ward.

TIGHT ENDS (D): Starter - Austin Hooper. Backups - Levine Toilolo, Eric Saubert.

WIDE RECEIVERS (C): Starters - Julio Jones, Mohamed Sanu. Backups - Taylor Gabriel (UFA), Justin Hardy, Nick Williams (UFA), Marvin Hall, *Devin Fuller.

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN (C): Starters - LT Jake Matthews, LG *Andy Levitre, C Alex Mack, RG Wes Schweitzer, RT Ryan Schraeder. Backups - G Ben Garland (UFA), G Sean Harlow, T Ty Sambrailo, T Austin Pasztor (UFA).

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN (B): Starters - DE Brooks Reed, DT Grady Jarrett, DT Dontari Poe (UFA), DE Adrian Clayborn (UFA). Backups -- DE Derrick Shelby, DE Takkarist McKinley, DE *Martin Ifedi, DT Courtney Upshaw (UFA), DT *Jack Crawford, DT Ahtyba Rubin (UFA).

LINEBACKERS (B-plus): Starters -- SLB Vic Beasley Jr., MLB Deion Jones, WLB De'Vondre Campbell. Backups - OLB Duke Riley, OLB Sean Weatherspoon (UFA), OLB *Jordan Tripp (UFA), OLB/S Kemal Ishmael (UFA), MLB LaRoy Reynolds.

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DEFENSIVE BACKS (B): Starters - LCB Desmond Trufant, SS Keanu Neal, FS Ricardo Allen, RCB Robert Alford. Backups -- CB Brian Poole, CB Blidi Wreh-Wilson (UFA), CB Leon McFadden (UFA), S Damontae Kazee, S Sharrod Neasman, S *Quincy Mauger.

SPECIAL TEAMS (A): K Matt Bryant (UFA), P Matt Bosher, LS Josh Harris, KOR/PR Andre Roberts (UFA).

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