8:48am: The Falcons have waived/injured running back Evan Royster to make room for Grossman, per McClure (via Twitter). That means the team will carry four quarterbacks on its roster for now.
8:12am: After taking a physical and working out for the team yesterday, free agent quarterback Rex Grossman has agreed to terms with the Falcons, according to Pro Football Talk (via Twitter). Grossman will be signing a one-year deal with Atlanta, reuniting with offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan.
Throughout the preseason, T.J. Yates and Sean Renfree have been vying for the Falcons’ backup quarterback role behind Matt Ryan, but neither signal-caller has seized the job. Yates entered camp as the presumed favorite, but he has completed just 52.8% of his passes in the preseason so far, and has thrown the team’s only two interceptions.
Grossman, who turned 35 on Sunday, hasn’t thrown a regular-season pass since 2011 in Washington, and we heard earlier this month that he was still recovering from an injury he sustained while training. However, the veteran QB has a history with Shanahan, so the new Falcons offensive coordinator may feel more comfortable with Grossman than he currently does with Yates or Renfree. It remains to be seen whether Yates or Renfree will be cut to accommodate Grossman’s signing, or if the team will temporarily carry four quarterbacks.
In addition to being the last season in which he saw regular-season playing time, 2011 was a year that saw Grossman get an extended opportunity as a starter for Washington — he went 5-8 as the club’s starter, throwing 20 interceptions and just 16 touchdowns. In Atlanta this time around, Grossman shouldn’t see any real game action unless something goes horribly wrong.
According to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (Twitter link), Grossman’s deal will be for the minimum salary, which is $970K for a player with his experience.
I suppose enhancing the competition can’t hurt, but I just don’t see how much Grossman could contribute even with his experience with Shanahan.