5 Post-June 1 Moves That NFL Teams Should Make Before Training Camp

The Atlanta Falcons and Kirk Cousins are at an impasse, one that can only seemingly be solved by cutting or trading the veteran quarterback.

While there have been no indications that the Falcons plan to do either at this juncture, both options became far more fiscally responsible this week.

There was simply no chance Atlanta could have released the 36-year-old prior to June 1 due to the $75 million dead cap charge and lack of immediate savings.

It’s slightly more palatable to take that path now, as that dead cap hit drops to $50 million, but it’s unlikely the franchise will opt for that route.

A trade is the most realistic option to set Cousins free. Prior to June 1, it would have cost the club $37.5 million in dead money against a meager $2.5 million in cap savings, but orchestrating a swap now provides a far more appealing $27.5 million in immediate cap room against a cap hit of $12.5 million.

Several teams are still in the market for a quarterback after a flurry of signal-callers changed hands on the open market and entered the league in the draft.

While the Pittsburgh Steelers have a glaring hole under center, it appears Aaron Rodgers will soon step in to fill the void. That leaves the New Orleans Saints as the most likely suitor, a team that sticks out as particularly desperate following the retirement of Derek Carr.

Carr’s departure leaves the Saints with a quarterbacks room led by second-round rookie Tyler Shough and 2024 fifth-rounder Spencer Rattler.

Neither represents a realistic path towards contending, something New Orleans could still be capable of with the right QB in new head coach Kellen Moore’s system.