Tag: falcons news

Former Todd Gurley running mate Keith Marshall loves the Falcons signing

Former Georgia football teammate Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall have stayed close. Marshall took to Twitter after TG signed with the Falcons

Keith Marshall and Todd Gurley played together at Georgia from 2012-14.

Both signed with the Bulldogs as elite members of the 2012 recruiting class, where Marshall was the 13th ranked player in the class (No. 1 RB) and Gurley ranked 73rd (No. 6 RB). Both hailed from North Carolina.

Their freshman year in Athens, the two, dubbed as Gurshall, were unstoppable. Marshall hit you with his blazing speed while Gurley was, well, Gurley.

They combined for 2,144 rushing yards and 27 total touchdowns.

Gurley left Georgia in 2014 and was taken with tenth overall pick by the Rams in the 2015 NFL Draft.

Marshall stayed an extra year, but sadly was never the same after suffering a season ending injury his sophomore season.

But together, along with Aaron Murray, the two running backs gave Georgia a 2012 that we will never forget.

Unfortunately for Marshall, his NFL career did not last long. After running the fastest 40-yard dash at the 2016 NFL Combine with a time of 4.31 seconds, he was taken by the Washington Redskins in the seventh round of the 2016 draft. A torn patellar tendon in his right knee would eventually end his NFL career in July of 2018.

But the bond between the two has stayed tight, and you can often see them together vacationing or hanging out across the country. Marshall has been quick to take to Twitter following a great Gurley run over the past few seasons.

When news broke that Gurley has signed with the Falcons, Marshall again took to Twitter to express his excitement.

The Gurshall duo may be North Carolinians, but they’re both Damn Good Dawgs for life.

Adam Schefter reveals two NFL teams that were most interested in trading for Todd Gurley

Adam Schefter of ESPN revealed two NFL teams that were once interested in trading for former LA Rams and Georgia football RB Todd Gurley.

Before releasing Todd Gurley on Thursday, the Los Angeles Rams were in discussions with multiple NFL teams about trading the one-time superstar running back.

No team was willing to take on Gurley’s contract, so the Rams were forced to release him.

However, before releasing him, two NFL teams reportedly showed interest in making a trade in the weeks leading up to Thursday.

Related: Todd Gurley: ‘I got fired on my day off’

Related: New Falcons DE Dante Fowler wants Todd Gurley to join him in Atlanta

According to this tweet from Adam Schefter, the Miami Dolphins and Atlanta Falcons were the two teams that expressed the most interest in Gurley.

Earlier this week, the Falcons released starting running back Devonta Freeman, meaning there is room for a ball carrier on the roster.

Falcons fans are getting more and more fed up with the franchise lately – the addition of Gurley could help to cool off some heated members of the fanbase.

Will the Falcons bring Gurley back to Georgia, where he played his college ball from 2012-14?

Related: Todd Gurley to the Chiefs? Twitter thinks it’s a good fit

Related: Twitter reacts to Todd Gurley being released

Then there’s the Miami Dolphins, a team that has been projected to select fellow Bulldog running back D’Andre Swift in April’s NFL Draft.

The Dolphins inked running back Jordan Howard to a two-year, $10m contract earlier this week and now find themselves with a backfield that includes Howard, Kalen Ballage, Patrick Laird, and Myles Gaskin.

New Falcons DE Dante Fowler wants Todd Gurley to join him in Atlanta

Dante Fowler, the newest member of the Atlanta Falcons, wants former Georgia football RB Todd Gurley to come home.

On Wednesday the Atlanta Falcons signed former Los Angeles Rams defensive end Dante Fowler, who had a breakout season in 2019 recording 11.5 sacks.

The next day, Fowler’s LA teammate, Todd Gurley, was released by the Rams. Gurley’s release sparked the newest Falcons pass rusher to take to Twitter in an effort to recruit Gurley to Atlanta.

Earlier this week, the Falcons released starting running back Devonta Freeman, meaning there is room for a ball carrier on the roster.

According to Adam Schefter, the Falcons were one of the teams that showed the most interest in Gurley while the Rams were looking to make a trade.

Falcons fans are getting more and more fed up with the franchise lately – the addition of Gurley could help to cool off some heated members of the fanbase.

Will the Falcons bring Gurley back to Georgia, where TG played his college ball from 2012-14?

Fingers crossed.

De’Vondre Campbell signs one-year deal with Cardinals

De’Vondre Campbell, the team’s leading tackler, will be leaving Atlanta for a one-year deal in Arizona.

The Falcons already lost 2019 sack leader Vic Beasley, who signed with the Tennessee Titans. Now, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, De’Vondre Campbell, the team’s leading tackler, will be leaving Atlanta for a one-year deal in Arizona.

The deal is reportedly worth $8.5 million, but the fact that it’s just for one year is somewhat surprising. Campbell was one general manager Thomas Dimitroff’s best draft picks, working his way up from a fourth-round pick to one of the team’s best defensive players.

At 26 years old, Campbell is just entering his prime and leaves another hole on Atlanta’s roster that it will have to attempt to fill in the 2020 NFL Draft.

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Lions sign CB Desmond Trufant to 2-year deal

It didn’t take long for former Falcons cornerback Desmond Trufant to land on his feet.

It didn’t take long for former Falcons cornerback Desmond Trufant to land on his feet.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero is reporting that the Detroit Lions have signed him to a two-year, $21 million contract:

Trufant is still a very good player when healthy, as indicated by the kind of deal he fetched so quickly after his release. Atlanta needed the cap space but also created a pretty big hole in their young secondary by cutting the veteran corner.

This move could also mean the Lions are planning to trade Pro Bowl corner Darius Slay.

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Falcons players react to Dante Fowler Jr. signing

The Atlanta Falcons have finally found an impact pass-rusher that can help bring pressure off the edge.

The Atlanta Falcons have finally found an impact pass-rusher that can help bring pressure off the edge and Pro Bowl DT Grady Jarrett‘s production inside.

The team agreed to terms with free-agent defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. on Wednesday (three-years, $48 million). Once the news broke, Fowler and a few Falcons players, including Jarrett, voiced their excitement on Twitter:

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Watch: Highlights of DE Dante Fowler Jr.

The Falcons have reportedly agreed to terms with free-agent defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. on a three-year, $48 million contract.

The Falcons have reportedly agreed to terms with free-agent defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. on a three-year, $48 million contract.

With Atlanta’s 2019 sack leader Vic Beasley leaving for the Titans, the team desperately needed an edge rusher and Fowler effectively fills that need.

Just 25 years old, Fowler had 11.5 sacks last season with the Rams and 27.5 sacks over his five-year career. Let’s take a look at some highlights of the Falcons’ new EDGE, as shared by the team’s Twitter below:

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Falcons expected to sign DE Dante Fowler Jr.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Atlanta Falcons have agreed to terms with defensive end Dante Fowler.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Atlanta Falcons have agreed to terms with defensive end Dante Fowler.

Fowler, 25, was the third-overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. After a rather slow start to his career, he recorded 11.5 sacks with the L.A. Rams last season.

The Falcons let free-agent defensive end Vic Beasley leave for the Tennessee Titans and had a need for an EDGE. Fowler is an improving young pass-rusher that was previously coached by Dan Quinn at Florida.

Stay tuned for more updates as terms of the deal are released.

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Falcons have released RB Devonta Freeman

After reports came out on Monday that the Atlanta Falcons would be moving on from running back Devonta Freeman, the team officially released him on Tuesday.

After reports came out on Monday that the Atlanta Falcons would be moving on from running back Devonta Freeman, the team officially released him on Tuesday.

As a fourth-round pick selected back in 2014, Freeman ran for 3,977 yards on 950 carries (4.2 yards per attempt), with 32 rushing touchdowns over six seasons. He also added 257 receptions for 2,015 receiving yards and 11 touchdown catches.

Cutting Freeman saves the Falcons roughly $3.5 million. According to Over The Cap, Atlanta currently has $3.66 million, but that number will go up when the team officially releases cornerback Desmond Trufant.

Freeman’s departure leaves a need for a starting running back. While Ito Smith and Qadree Ollison are nice complementary backs, neither has proven they can be that bell cow that Freeman was for so many years.

Atlanta tendered restricted free agent running back Brian Hill, allowing the team to match any offer or receive a fifth-round pick if he signs elsewhere.

The upcoming NFL draft is most likely where the Falcons will look to replace Freeman. Atlanta could target Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor, Georgia’s D’Andre Swift or Ohio State’s J.K. Dobbins as possible first or second-round options.

As for Freeman, he’s still a productive runner and racked up over 1,000 all-purpose yards in 2019. He just wasn’t quite the difference-maker he was earlier in his career. However, for a team looking for No. 2 option than can carry the load if necessary, Freeman makes a lot of sense.

Check out this tribute video released by the Falcons’ Twitter account below:

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DE Vic Beasley lands in Tennessee on a one-year deal

Defensive end Vic Beasley has signed a one-year, $9.5 million contract with the Tennessee Titans.

The Atlanta Falcons are moving on from another starter as NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport is reporting that defensive end Vic Beasley has signed a one-year, $9.5 million contract with the Tennessee Titans:

The Falcons announced shortly after the season that they would not be re-signing Beasley, who led the team in sacks last season. While he once looked like a long-term building block, Beasley’s production took a serous dip following his dominant 2016 season when he was the NFL’s sack leader.

At just 27 years old, Beasley still has a chance to get his career back on track, but not for an Atlanta team that is low on cap space. In five seasons with the Falcons, the former first-round pick recorded 156 tackles (119 solo) and 37.5 sacks.

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