FRIDAY, 1:04pm: The Falcons won’t push Umenyiora to take a pay cut if he’s not inclined to accept one, says Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. According to Florio, the team’s inquiry into Umenyiora’s salary is part of a standard year-end procedure, and if the defensive end isn’t open to the idea, the club will make a decision on whether to keep him or cut him.
THURSDAY, 12:18pm: The Falcons want defensive end Osi Umenyiora, set to earn $3.5MM in 2014, to take a pay cut, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports. The veteran has a $500K roster bonus due on March 25th.
Recently, the 32-year-old expressed optimism that he would be back with Atlanta for this season even though he would count as a $4.75MM hit against the team’s salary cap. The Falcons another big-name defender in cornerback Asante Samuel last month to create more than $4MM in cap savings.
While Samuel struggled to stay on the field last season, Umenyiora saw time in all 16 games with 13 starts. The former face of the Giants racked up 47 tackles and 7.5 sacks, forced three fumbles, and returned an interception for a touchdown. Even if he can’t come to terms with the Falcons on a number for 2014, Umenyiora has said that he intends to continue playing and sees himself going for three more seasons.