Tony Gonzalez (left) could be back with the Falcons if he opts to delay retirement while teammate Michael Turner (right) could be released in order to free up salary cap room. (Reuters)
The Atlanta Falcons could say hello to a player who wanted to leave and goodbye to someone who wants to stay.
Jettisoning running back Michael Turner to free up cap space isn’t beyond reason while, at the same time, efforts to convince tight end Tony Gonzalez to stop talking retirement appear to be working.
Nobody is saying a lot about either scenario but there is much speculation in Atlanta, and major football media outlets, regarding the future of both veterans.
Turner’s situation is intriguing because he has been such an integral part of the offence. But while he helped get the Falcons close to a Super Bowl, it appears his time is passing. Turner is celebrating (and we use the term loosely) his 31st birthday Wednesday — an age when most running backs start to slow down. And, Turner’s numbers are diminishing — except the ones against the salary cap where they’re a lofty $8.9 million.
Like many cap-challenged teams, the Falcons could use that money elsewhere
