THURSDAY, 9:39am: According to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via Twitter), Jerry’s deal with the Falcons is for one year and $890K. Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com tweets that the contract includes a $730K base salary, which is the minimum, so it’s a bit surprising that the team would exceed the $65K bonus limit for a minimum salary benefit deal.
WEDNESDAY, 5:02pm: The Falcons have re-signed defensive lineman Peria Jerry, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The five-year veteran had been an unrestricted free agent.
Jerry, 29, started 14 games for the Falcons in 2013, but may not see such a significant role for the team in 2014 as the defensive line undergoes an overhaul. The former first-round pick logged 3.5 sacks to go along with 33 tackles last season, but didn’t post good grades against the run, according to Pro Football Focus, whose metrics ranked him 64th of 69 qualified defensive tackles (subscription required).
Earlier this month, it appeared the Falcons and Jerry were ready to part ways. Perhaps Jerry didn’t generate as much interest on the open market as he anticipated, or perhaps the club was unimpressed with the alternatives.