Tag: roster news

Falcons restructure Deion Jones’ deal, create $2.7M in cap space

On Thursday, the team converted over $4.1 million of linebacker Deion Jones’ 2021 base salary into a roster bonus

The Atlanta Falcons have created a little financial breathing room as the team nears its Week 1 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.

On Thursday, the Falcons converted over $4.1 million of linebacker Deion Jones‘ 2021 base salary into a roster bonus, freeing up $2.78 million in cap space, according to ESPN’s Field Yates.

So where does that leave Atlanta? According to Over The Cap’s projections, the Falcons had just over $330,000 in space available prior to restructuring Jones’ deal.

With the new money freed up, the Falcons should have just over $3 million in cap space if the team wishes to sign a veteran free agent before the season starts.

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Falcons waive punter Dom Maggio from injured reserve list

On Wednesday, the Falcons waived punter Dom Maggio from the injured reserve list.

The Falcons signed punter Dom Maggio over the offseason to provide competition for Sterling Hofrichter, and now three days from the start of the 2021 regular season, neither player is on the team’s active roster.

Both Maggio and Hofrichter were waived/injured but would return to Atlanta’s injured reserve list after clearing waivers. On Wednesday, the Falcons waived Maggio from the injured reserve list with a settlement, reports ESPN’s Michael Rothstein.

Hofrichter remains on the team’s injured reserve list and former Georgia punter Cameron Nizialek is set to start in Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

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Falcons S Erik Harris returns, Marlon Davidson wearing knee brace

Falcon safety Erik Harris missed Monday’s practice, but was back out there on Wednesday.

The Atlanta Falcons have one more preseason game to get things on track before their Week 1 matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles. At Wednesday’s practice, two players expected to play big roles this season were back on the field.

Starting safety Erik Harris was absent on Monday but returned on Wednesday. Meanwhile, defensive lineman Marlon Davidson, who didn’t play in the Falcons’ second preseason game due to a knee injury, was back out there wearing a big brace on his leg, per ESPN’s Michael Rothstein.

In other Falcons injury news, John Cominsky returned from the concussion protocol this week and should be good to go for this Sunday’s preseason finale against the Cleveland Browns. However, running back Mike Davis has yet to be seen at Wednesday’s practice.

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Looking at Falcons QB Josh Rosen’s career numbers

One day after drafting Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray, the Arizona Cardinals traded Josh Rosen to the Miami Dolphins

After backup quarterback AJ McCarron was injured against the Miami Dolphins during Saturday’s preseason game, the Atlanta Falcons turned to free agent Josh Rosen to fill the void. Drafted with the 10th overall selection in the 2018 NFL draft, Rosen will be joining his fifth different team in four years.

The former UCLA star wouldn’t make his first start until Week 4 against the  Seattle Seahawks, and then took over for the remainder of the season. Here are Rosen’s stats from his rookie campaign with the Arizona Cardinals.

2018 – Arizona Cardinals

Week Att Comp Comp % Yards TD/INT
3 7 4 57.1 % 36 0/1
4 27 15 55.6 % 180 1/0
5 25 10 40 % 170 1/0
6 31 21 67.7 % 240 0/1
7 39 21 53.8 % 194 1/3
8 40 23 57.5 % 252 2/1
10 39 22 56.4 % 208 1/2
11 20 9 45 % 136 3/2
12 19 12 63.2 % 105 1/1
13 26 11 42.3 % 149 0/0
14 41 26 63.4 % 240 0/1
15 22 13 59.1 % 132 0/2
16 23 12 52.2 % 87 0/0
17 34 18 52.9 % 149 1/0
Total 393 217 55.2 % 2,278 11/14

2019 – Miami Dolphins

One day after drafting Oklahoma quarterback, Kyler Murray, the Arizona Cardinals traded Josh Rosen to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for draft capital in 2019 and 2020. Rosen only played in five games for the Dolphins, three of which were starts.

Here are his stats from those five games during the 2019 season.

Week Att Comp Comp % Yards TD/INT
1 3 1 33.3 % 5 0/1
2 18 7 38.9 % 97 0/1
3 39 18 46.2 % 200 0/0
4 24 17 70.8 % 180 1/1
6 25 15 60 % 85 0/2
Total 109 58 53.2 % 567 1/5

2020 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers / San Francisco 49ers (DNP)

Rosen saw his time in Miami come to an end by virtue of another top-10 drafted quarterback. The Dolphins selected Tua Tagovailoa earlier in the offseason while also adding Ryan Fitzpatrick to their roster in 2019.

After his release before the 2020 season, Rosen joined the Bucs as a member of their practice squad. He later joined the 49ers in December of 2020 and later signed a one-year extension in February of 2021. However, Rosen was released by the 49ers in the team’s first wave of roster cuts to get under 85 players before their second preseason game.

Check out some highlights of the Falcons’ new signal-caller, as shared by the team’s Twitter account below.

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Falcons release RB Javian Hawkins, four others ahead of cut deadline

The Atlanta Falcons announced a flurry of moves on Tuesday morning ahead of the NFL’s second wave of roster cuts.

The Atlanta Falcons announced a flurry of moves on Tuesday morning ahead of the NFL’s second wave of roster cuts. First, the team placed quarterback AJ McCarron on the injured reserve list and signed former first-round pick Josh Rosen as a replacement.

Then, the team released five players — RB Javian Hawkins, LB Shareef Miller, DT Olive Sagapolu, WR Austin Trammell and OL Willie Wright — in order to get down to the 80-player limit.

Rosen is the biggest name of the bunch, but the surprise might be the team cutting running back Javian Hawkins. Following a disappointing preseason debut, Hawkins rushed five times for 46 yards against the Miami Dolphins last weekend.

Falcons running back Caleb Huntley is the clear winner of the day as both he and Hawkins were battling for essentially the same roster spot.

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Falcons sign TE David Wells, place Ryan Becker on injured reserve

The Atlanta Falcons have added another tight end, signing David Wells on Friday and placing Ryan Becker on the injured reserve list.

The Atlanta Falcons have added another tight end, signing David Wells on Friday and placing Ryan Becker on the injured reserve list. Wells, 26, was an undrafted free agent out of San Diego State back in 2018, signing with the Dallas Cowboys as a rookie. 

Primarily a blocker, Wells provides good depth to a Falcons team transitioning to more two and three tight end sets, and he can contribute on special teams

After failing to catch on in Dallas, Wells landed in Kansas City on the Chiefs practice squad before being released again. The New England Patriots signed Wells back in July but cut him earlier this week.

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Falcons waive four players, one with injury designation

The Atlanta Falcons lost their first preseason game of the year on Friday, and on Saturday, four players lost their jobs.

The Atlanta Falcons lost their first preseason game of the year on Friday, and on Saturday, four players lost their jobs.

Defensive tackle John Atkins, cornerback Marcus Murphy and offensive tackle William Sweet were waived, while wide receiver J’Mon Moore was waived/injured — meaning he would land on the Falcons’ injured reserve list if he clears waivers.

The Falcons have until August 31 to get their roster down to 53 players but the first round of cuts, which requires teams to get down to 85 players, is Tuesday, August 17.

After that, the team must drop to 80 players by August 24 at 4:00 p.m. ET.

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Falcons agree to terms with veteran OL Josh Andrews

Free-agent offensive lineman Josh Andrews has agreed to terms with the Falcons on a one-year contract, per his agent, Brent Tessler.

On Sunday, it was reported that Falcons middle linebacker Deion Jones had agreed to restructure his contract, creating $4 million in cap room for the 2021 season. While the team has yet to officially confirm Jones’ restructure, it appears Atlanta is already making moves with the newly-created cap space.

Free-agent offensive lineman Josh Andrews has agreed to terms with the Falcons on a one-year contract, per his agent, Brent Tessler.

Andrews, who went undrafted back in 2014 out of Oregon State, can provide good depth at all three interior line spots. Despite having just four career starts, he has appeared in 40 games for three different teams — the New York Jets, Indianapolis Colts and Philadelphia Eagles. All four of Andrews’ career starts came for the Jets in 2020.

His price tag can’t be overly high, and it would be a surprise if Andrews received more than a one-year deal worth roughly $1 million. The Falcons already re-signed versatile lineman Matt Gono, but with Alex Mack leaving in free agency and the team releasing James Carpenter, Atlanta’s interior offensive line still needs to add both talent and depth.

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Falcons OL Matt Gono signs second-round tender

When you’re in as bad of salary cap shape as the Atlanta Falcons, every dollar must be accounted for.

When you’re in as bad of salary cap shape as the Atlanta Falcons, every dollar must be accounted for. That’s the reason for the team’s frugal spending over the first wave of free agency.

Not only have the Falcons been shopping in the bargain bin, they’ve been forced to part with multiple starters from last season. One of the minor moves Atlanta made was applying a second-round tender to restricted free agent Matt Gono, who’s served as a swing tackle and backup guard for the team over the past few years.

On Thursday, the Falcons announced that Gono signed his second-round tender, which pays him $3.3 million and keeps him in Atlanta for another year at least.

Gono, 24, has played in 21 games (four starts) since signing in Atlanta as an undrafted free agent out of Wesley College in 2018. With veteran left guard James Carpenter out of the picture after the team released him last month, Gono could potentially end up starting next season.

His role in 2021 likely depends on what the Falcons do over the remainder of free agency and in the upcoming NFL draft. 

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Falcons agree to terms with LB LaRoy Reynolds

Reynolds played 15 games last year for the Cincinnati Bengals after spending the 2018 season with the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Atlanta Falcons are bringing back a familiar face to help on defense, agreeing to terms with linebacker LaRoy Reynolds, the team announced on Tuesday:

Reynolds played 15 games last year for the Cincinnati Bengals after spending the 2018 season with the Philadelphia Eagles. He played for Atlanta from 2016-2017, recording 45 total tackles as a backup middle linebacker and special teams contributor.

With De’Vondre Campbell leaving for the Arizona Cardinals, the Falcons could use extra depth at the linebacker position and Reynolds is familiar with Dan Quinn’s defense.

Expect Atlanta to add another player or two in the draft or free agency to replace Campbell, the team’s leading tackler last year.

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