[Ben E Lou]

2018 ROSTER SHAPING

BEGINNING CAP SITUATION
SALARY CAP: $188.4
ROOM UNDER CAP: $30.79M
MAX FOR NEW PLAYER: $23.37M

INJURY UPDATES FROM LAST SEASON
RDT Roy Novack dropped from 79/80 to 47/48.

TE Emmitt Wickham dropped from 65/65 to 43/43.

SE Gus Lang is Out (21). He won't go on the IR, as he could be useful come playoff time.

SE Sammie Farrell, who missed all of 2016 and 2017 with repetitive concussive syndrome, is Out (1), and hasn't dropped any points yet.

SS Nicky Register suffers no scouted loss.

LCB Chrplewicz also suffers no loss.


FRANCHISE PLAYER
LCB Spencer Carlton gets the tag again this year.

KEY FREE AGENTS/RESTRICTED PLAYERS FROM MY TEAM


QB Hardy Tamm--I'd love to keep him around as a backup and mentor if I can afford him, but I doubt I can.

SE Wes Proctor--RFA--Former 7th-rounder really stepped it up late last season. If Farrell drops, Proctor might start this year.

LDE Deron Mirkovich--RFA--22 sacks over the past two seasons. He's looking for a big contract. It will be tough, but I really want to keep him.

RDT Roy Novack--Despite his big ratings drop, he looks like he can still be a decent player, and he'll come fairly cheaply. I'll pursue him.

MLB O.J. Barnhill--I'd like to keep him, but it is gonna cost me to do so.

LCB Colin Chryplewicz--With four other solid or better CB's on the roster, he's fairly expendable, even though I could keep him around pretty cheaply. We'll see.


FREE AGENCY
POSITIONS TO FILL OR UPGRADE: I need to take care of business at LDE, LDT, RDT, and MLB first and foremost, and SE may be a need as well.



CUTS OF NOTE

C Rufus Schwartz--I can get another backup for less than what he would have cost me.

FB Xavier Weigle--Same.

LT Roy Adderley--His ratings continue to drop. He's gone.


I make a trade, sending Malcolm Rasberry and our 1(32) pick this year over to Houston for ILB Clifton Shaw, their first round pick next year, and their 2nd round pick in 2020. Shaw is a third-year man who has 174 tackles in the two previous seasons. This move makes it unnecessary for me to have to re-sign Barnhill, and therefore frees up a good bit of cap room to sign the other FA's that I need/want.


SIGNINGS

QB Hardy Tamm re-signs for two more years as a mentor/backup.

RDT Roy Novack signs a deal that will keep him here for 3 more years.

I also sign a new player, LDT Preston Rabe (4.8, 5yrs/$35.25M)--He was 2nd-Team All Pro last year for Indianapolis with 57 tackles and 7 sacks. His contract does not have a large bonus, so he's not necessarily a long-term solution. I won't hesitate to cut or trade him if something better comes along in a year or two, but he's the starter for now.

LCB Colin Chryplewicz signs pretty cheaply, and with the extra cap room, why not?

SE Wes Proctor signs a modest 3-year deal.



WHERE OUR KEY GUYS WENT

ILB O.J. Barnhill signs a 3-year, $52.64M contract with Detroit.




AMATEUR DRAFT

PICKS
I have the 32nd pick in rounds 2-5, and the 3(6) pick.

NEEDS
I could use youngsters at RB, TE and C in particular.

POS	NAME	CUR	FUT	VOL	SOL	40	BP	AGI	COMMENTS	Cur2	Fut2	Cur3	Fut3
2(32)	RB Stanley James	27	37	99	24	4.60	26	7.30	Might as well take a risk on him.	27	37
3(6)	FB Dusty Tubbs	40	60	94	34	4.64	30	7.45	I'll move him to TE.	39	59
3(32)	RDE Korey Brock	30	36	9	26	4.87	33	7.87	Looks like he might be better than advertised.	31	37
4(32)	C Jake Gray	19	60	42	41	5.22	29	7.97	Got some developing to do...	19	57
5(32)	SLB Justin Harmon	16	43	43	30	4.56	21	7.20	Pretty good combine performance.	16	44

DRAFT GRADE: B-



We sign a few backups and 1st-year guys in late free agency. One signing is worth mentioning, as TE Kenny Malfara comes back to Atlanta as a mentor and backup TE. He still looks like he could be a pretty decent player. He caught 76 passes and was a first-team All Pro in 2016 for Baltimore.



The following rookies had gains/losses worth noting from draft time to post-camp.



FA QB Luke Ulufale 11/34 --> 14/43

2(32) RB Stanley James 27/37 -->13/16

4(32) C Jake Gray 19/60 --> 20/52

5(32) SLB Justin Harmon 16/43 --> 18/49