Breaking down the Falcons' cap
Middle linebacker Keith Brooking has a whopping $7.7 million cap charge, third in the NFL behind Ray Lewis and Zach Thomas. Since he has another year on his contract, cutting him now would not save Atlanta much money against the cap -- unless it waited until after June 1, when he would count against the '09 cap. A contract restructure or a salary-reduction request is a possibility. CURTIS COMPTON / AJC
