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The Hawks made it clear after the retirement of coach Dan Quinn and GM Thomas Dimitroff that the next coach and GM will have a big voice in determining the future of key players like fullback Matt Ryan and receiver Julio Jones.
The new coach, Arthur Smith, recently explained in a video visit to PFT that reviews of both the cornerstone players, along with the rest of the list, were not done.
“No decision has been made with staff at this time,” Smith said. “It’s just that early. . . . We’re just not going to make any decisive statements. There is a long process. We need to get in here with staff. We have to go through every guy on this roster. And we’re going to take our time. There is no decision to be made today. It’s not Matt and Julio, it’s every player on this roster. ”
Owner Arthur Blank said Ryan would play a role in deciding his future and leave the door open for a divorce initiated by the player, not by the team. Did Arthur Smith get the impression in the conversation with Ryan that Ryan wants to stay?
“I do not want to talk to Matt,” Smith said. “We had good talks. And I have a lot of respect for Matt. I know what Matt is about, the people who work with him. These conversations continue, but I will never speak for any of my players. I’ll tell them, ‘You have to speak for yourself.’ ‘
The salary cap, which some say will reach $ 180 million in 2021, lies ahead of both Ryan and Jones. Ryan has an amount of $ 40.9 million. Of that amount, $ 17.9 million comes from previous bonuses and restructurings. If he traded with him, he would add another $ 26.5 million to the total.
The Hawks will therefore carry a levy of more than $ 40 million, whether he is in the team or not, without the expansion that reduces Ryan’s cap from 2021. For Jones, the cap number will be more than $ 23 million, whether in the team or not.
That’s more than $ 63 million for two players. If the limit actually drops to $ 180 million, it remains $ 117 million for the rest of the list. Either way, it will be a challenge for the Hawks to be as competitive in 2021 as they can be.