Brent Grimes and Other Key Atlanta Falcons Not Under Contract for 2013

Looking into the crystal ball for 2013 free agency, the Atlanta Falcons have 40 players currently under contract.

The biggest questions are how many projected 2012 starters and key players aren't under contract, who they are and what the Falcons need to do to keep them.

The only projected 2012 starters who aren't under contract for the 2013 season are TE Tony Gonzalez, C Todd McClure, CB Brent Grimes and SS William Moore. Key backups who aren't under contract are QB Chris Redman, OT Will Svitek, DT Vance Walker and DE Lawrence Sidbury.

According to Spotrac, the Falcons are also projected to be $13 million under the projected 2013 salary cap and could easily clear another $5.5 million by cutting Michael Turner after the season. It's easy to see that Tony Gonzalez and Todd McClure are likely in their final year as Falcons and won't need to be worried about. 

Chris Redman and Will Svitek are veteran minimum-caliber signings, and Walker is a player worth around $2 million a year.

The only players who will be getting contracts more than your standard one-year, $2 million deal are Grimes, Moore and Sidbury.

With the Falcons' having $13 million in cap space, it should be very easy for Atlanta to keep at least two of these three guys, if not all of them.

Grimes should be able to structure a deal with a low cap hit in 2013 and a much larger one in 2014, when the Falcons have more cap space. The Division II product is now a Pro Bowl-level cornerback and one of the leaders in the Falcons locker room.

The Falcons can't afford to lose him and his playmaking: His turnover ability is top notch. Grimes should be locked up with a deal for around five years and $45 million.

After Grimes, there is Moore, a potential Pro Bowl-caliber safety. He's going to play a much bigger role in the defense in 2012, and, if he stays healthy, he should have the same kind of year that he had in 2010, when he could roam around the field.

The wild card here is Sidbury: With the Falcon's pick of Jonathan Massaquoi, he could almost be scratched off the 2013 roster.

However, if Sidbury has the kind of year that Cameron Wake had in the 2009—with 5.5 sacks and a ton of pressure on the QB—expect the Falcons to go all out to keep him.

Other than that, the Falcons should have enough money for rookies again and could be in a spot to stand pat and do what they did in the 2012 offseason, just signing unrestricted free agents to veteran-minimum flyer contracts and re-signing their own guys. 

This could also be the prime time to give Ryan that big extension everyone is expecting.

Regardless, the Falcons are primed to keep together one of the best team cores in the NFL.

All contract data is from Spotrac.com and Rotoworld.com