There doesn’t seem to be a consensus on what Drew Dalman will garner on the free agent market, but many believe he’ll be out of the Falcons’ price range.
In fact, a report from ESPN’s Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler said that the Falcons are prepared to lose the center this offseason. Dalman has ascended to become one of the better players at his position, but it’s all about timing, and the 2021 fourth-round pick is hitting the open market at the right time.
Dalman is easily the best free agent center in this year’s class, and he’ll be compensated very handsomely, with some even predicting he’ll reset the center market. Gregg Rosenthal on the NFL Daily podcast reported that talk around the league is that Dalman will garner a contract that pays him $20 million a year, continuing by saying he doesn’t think the Falcons will be able to retain him.
“Talking to people around the league, he is going to get like a starting offensive lineman type of ‘What? Who got $20 million a year?’ But Drew Dalman will be that guy. He is absolutely getting that. I don’t think the Falcons are going to be able to afford to keep him,” Rosenthal said.
If that’s the going rate, Falcons fans can kiss Drew Dalman goodbye. However, a conflicting report from Tom Pelissero suggests it might not be that high after all.
“A fourth-round pick (No. 114 overall) out of Stanford in 2021, Dalman has 40 career starts and might still have his best football ahead of him at age 26. A contract with an annual salary in the $13 million-to-$14 million range would make sense,” Pelissero wrote.
This is much more in line with my contract projection for Drew Dalman of $48 million with $20 million in guarantees over four years. However, demand is high and supply is low. This bodes well for Dalman. We will soon see with free agency starting next week.
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Photographer: Todd Kirkland/Icon Sportswire
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