Tag: falcons news

Contract figures for P Ryan Allen, K Younghoe Koo

The Atlanta Falcons announced on Tuesday that they had given kicker Younghoe Koo and punter Ryan Allen one-year extensions.

Earlier this week, the Atlanta Falcons announced they had given kicker Younghoe Koo and punter Ryan Allen one-year contract extensions.

As reported by ESPN’s Vaughn McClure below, Koo’s deal is worth $660,000, while Allen’s is worth $945,000:

The Falcons now have a little over $4.3 million in cap space according to Over The Cap’s updated projecton, and can free up another $3.5 million if the team chooses to move on from running back Devonta Freeman.

Atlanta isn’t currently in position to re-sign either tight end Austin Hooper or linebacker De’Vondre Campbell without making a few cuts. Ideally, finding enough space to keep Hooper would be considered a success given the current cap constraints.

On the bright side, the team does hold the No. 16 pick, along with two second-round picks in the upcoming draft, so we’ll have to hold off judgement until the NFL’s long offseason is completely said and done. For now, the Falcons are looking towards the scouting combine, where they’ll get a first-hand look at over 300 college players.

Don’t forget to check out our 11 EDGE prospects for Atlanta to watch at the combine.

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Younghoe Koo thanks Falcons for taking a chance on him

At 1-7 with nothing to lose, the Atlanta Falcons made a tough call to release veteran kicker Matt Bryant during the bye week and replace him with little-known Younghoe Koo.

At 1-7 with nothing to lose, the Atlanta Falcons made a surprising decision to release veteran kicker Matt Bryant during the bye week and replace him with little-known Younghoe Koo.

In eight games, the 25-year-old journeyman who hadn’t kicked in an NFL game in two years quickly validated the move. Koo made 23 of 26 field goals and 15 of 16 extra points. Earlier today, the Falcons announced they had given Koo a one-year extension, along with punter Ryan Allen.

Following the announcement, Koo was quick to thank the organization on Twitter for “taking a chance” on him last year:

What initially seemed like an unlikely outcome due to Koo being an unknown commodity and replacing a fan favorite in Bryant, the young kicker made the most of his chance, while wearing Michael Vick‘s infamous No. 7 jersey.

It was expected that Atlanta would retain Koo, although the team has also said it intends to add competition at the position in the offseason. Still, bringing back the kicker with by far the most highlights in the NFL last season was essentially a no-brainer for the Falcons.

We’ll leave you with a couple of Koo’s best plays from 2019:

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Falcons give K Younghoe Koo, P Ryan Allen one-year extensions

The Atlanta Falcons announced on Tuesday afternoon that they have given one-year extensions to punter Ryan Allen and kicker Younghoe Koo.

The Atlanta Falcons announced on Tuesday afternoon that they have given one-year extensions to punter Ryan Allen and kicker Younghoe Koo.

The team already announced that it intended to retain Koo, who did an outstanding job taking over for a struggling Matt Bryant after the bye week. In eight games, Koo made 23 of 26 field goal attempts, while making 15 of 16 extra points.

He doesn’t have the strongest leg, but the 25-year-old Koo was consistent and also showed an impressive ability to place onside kicks.

Allen, who also played in eight games last season, averaged 41.9 yards per punt with 14 of his 28 attempts landing inside the 20 yard line. Just 29 years old — which is basically 20 in punter years — Allen showed enough to replace an injury-prone Matt Bosher in 2020.

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Julio Jones has second-most receiving yards ever by age 31

As if you needed another reason to appreciate Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones, who turns 31 years old today, we’ve found another stat that shows why he’s headed to Canton when his career is over.

As if you needed any more reasons to appreciate Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones, who turns 31 years old today, we’ve found another stat that shows why he’s undoubtedly headed to Canton when his career is over.

As tweeted by ESPN’s Field Yates below, Jones has the second-most receiving yards for any player by age 31 — only 68 yards behind 49ers legend Jerry Rice:

If Jones had played every game this year, he more than likely would’ve been the leader, but it’s still a great accomplishment for the All-Pro wideout.

So take a minute and appreciate Jones on his birthday as he continues to prove to be one of the greatest players to ever play this game:

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Falcons add punter Sam Irwin-Hill

The Atlanta Falcons couldn’t seem to find a punter capable of staying healthy in 2019. On Friday, the team signed free agent Sam Irwin-Hill to its 90-man roster.

The Atlanta Falcons couldn’t seem to find a punter capable of staying healthy in 2019. On Friday, the team signed free agent Sam Irwin-Hill to its 90-man roster.

After signing Irwin-Hill to the practice squad last season, the Falcons appear to be giving him a shot at competing for the starting job in 2020. Veteran punter Matt Bosher, who finished the season on injured reserve with a groin injury, is a pending free agent.

With Atlanta moving on from kicker Matt Bryant last season, it seems like a strong possibility the team will do the same with Bosher this offseason.

Irwin-Hill, a 29-year-old undrafted free agent out of Arkansas, punted 15 times in the preseason for an average of 38.3 yards per punt in 2017.

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Falcons-Bucs Injury Report (Dec. 27): Two Bucs ruled out for Week 17 finale

Check out the final injury report for both the Falcons and Buccaneers ahead of Sunday’s Week 17 showdown.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons meet tomorrow in Week 17 for the final game of the 2019 regular season.

While neither of these teams is going to the playoffs, they’ve both played some of their best football over the last half of the season. Atlanta, who started the year 1-7 but now sit at 6-9, announced yesterday that head coach Dan Quinn — who had been on the hot seat all year — would return in 2020.

Here is your final injury report for both teams heading into Sunday.

Bucs

DT Beau Allen – Ankle – Did Not Participate – Out

WR Chris Godwin – Hamstring – Did Not Participate – Out

LT Donovan Smith – Ankle/Knee – Limited Participation – Questionable

QB Jameis Winston – Right Thumb/Knee – Full Participation – Questionable

RG Alex Cappa – Elbow – Full Participation

CB Carlton Davis – Ankle – Full Participation

RT Demar Dotson – Not Injury Related – Full Participation

K Matt Gay – Back – Full Participation

DT Will Gholston – Ankle – Full Participation

TE Tanner Hudson – Concussion – Full Participation

C Ryan Jensen – Elbow – Full Participation

OLB Jason Pierre-Paul – Not Injury Related – Did Not Participate

DT Ndamukong Suh – Not Injury Related – Did Not Participate

Falcons

G Jamon Brown – Illness – Did Not Participate – Out

DE Adrian Clayborn – Knee – Did Not Participate – Out

DB Brandon Powell – Wrist – Did Not Participate – Out

S Ricardo Allen – Shoulder/Knee – Full Participation

DE Allen Bailey – Hand – Limited Participation

RB Kenjon Barber – Shoulder/Hip – Limited Participation

WR Julio Jones – Knee – Full Participation

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Buccaneers rule two players out for Sunday’s finale against Falcons

See which two players have been ruled out by the Buccaneers for Sunday’s Week 17 finale against the Atlanta Falcons.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have ruled out two players for Sunday’s season finale against the Atlanta Falcons (and no, Bruce Arians is not one of them).

DL Beau Allen and WR Chris Godwin will miss the action. Godwin has been out since suffering a hamstring injury in Week 15’s win over the Detroit Lions, just one week after Mike Evans was lost for the year with his own hamstring injury.

Tampa Bay has the chance to finish the season on a high note by beating the Falcons. A win would put them at 8-8 on the year, making it their first non-losing season since 2016, when they went a surprising 9-7.

Quarterback Jameis Winston needs just 92 more passing yards to hit 5,000 on the season, which would make him the first Bucs quarterback ever to hit that mark. He’ll have to play with a thin receiving corps, but, as he’s proved all year long, he isn’t afraid to throw the ball.

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Dan Quinn’s return in 2020 could spell trouble for Bucs on Sunday

The Atlanta Falcons announced today that head coach Dan Quinn will return to the team in 2020.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a chance to end their season at .500 with a win against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday in their Week 17 finale.

The Bucs have come on strong in the second half of the season after a 3-7 start. They’ve gone 4-1 over their past five games and quarterback Jameis Winston is putting up big numbers (both good and bad). For the first time in a while, it seems the Bucs will head into the offseason with a newfound sense of optimism about the future.

But, the Falcons should not be taken lightly. While Tampa Bay is favored, Atlanta has had a second half surge of their own. After a 1-7 start, they’ve gone 5-2 since their Week 9 bye, and today, the team received some good news that could spell trouble for the Bucs come Sunday.

Quinn’s job status was a topic of conversation all season long. The team has struggled since their loss in Super Bowl LI to the New England Patriots, and it appeared as though a change was inevitable after their horrific start to the season.

But, knowing that Quinn — who had the backing of his players — will return next year will likely provide the team with a spark on Sunday. They know their coach is returning and they are looking towards the future, much like the Bucs are.

The Falcons have also had big road wins against both the New Orleans Saints and the San Francisco 49ers following their bye. A trip to face their division rival is nothing for them.

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