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The Atlanta Falcons agreed to a long-term extension with veteran defensive tackle Grady Jarrett ahead of Monday's deadline, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.



Per Schefter, the contract is for four years and worth $68 million.

Atlanta placed the franchise tag on the 26-year-old in March, and he signed the one-year tender in April. The franchise tender was worth a little over $15.2 million for 2019.

When the team first triggered the franchise tag for Jarrett, Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff indicated he preferred to work out a more permanent solution and that the tag "allows us to extend our negotiating window."

Formally putting pen to paper on the tender didn't preclude the player's representatives from continuing negotiations with Atlanta. The two sides had until July 15 to finalize the details on an extension.

At the very least, the Falcons knew they'd have Jarrett available for 2019 and avoid a Le'Veon Bell situation. Last year, he didn't sign his one-year tender with the Pittsburgh Steelers and held out for the entire season.

Assuring Jarrett's future beyond the upcoming campaign was obviously the optimal move.

Atlanta avoids questions over his status lingering throughout the season, and it dodges having to contemplate what would have been an even more expensive franchise tender for 2020.

Jarrett is coming off an excellent 2018. He finished with 52 combined tackles, six sacks and three forced fumbles. Pro Football Focus ranked him as the NFL's 17th-best player:

"Grady Jarrett took his career to the next level this season, bringing his overall grade from 83.6 to 91.0, tying him for the fifth-highest grade at his position. His pass-rush grade of 86.7 was good for the fifth-highest leaguewide, and his 9.6 pass-rush productivity was seventh-best. On the season, he produced 36 hurries, 11 hits, and six sacks."

Jarrett is vital to a Falcons defensive line that was a major area of weakness. Atlanta allowed 124.9 rushing yards per game (25th) and 4.9 yards per carry (28th). The team was also 31st in adjusted line yards and 25th in adjusted sack rate, per Football Outsiders.

Now, the Falcons can count on the Clemson product anchoring the line for the foreseeable future.

Beyond the tangible on-field benefits Jarrett will provide, his contract gives Dimitroff a firmer idea of the team's expected salary-cap space going forward. Vic Beasley is in the final year of his deal, while Damontae Kazee, Alex Mack and Julio Jones are all free agents in 2021.