Adam Replogle

Minor NFL Transactions: 4/22/16

Here are Friday’s minor moves from around the NFL:

  • The Patriots have signed linebacker Tony Steward and long snapper Christian Yount, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN. Steward, whom the Bills released earlier this week, appeared in seven games and made two tackles as a sixth-round rookie last season. Yount, on the other hand, has 60 NFL games under his belt, including 48 in a row with the Browns from 2012-14.
  • The Eagles have signed wide receiver T.J. Graham to a one-year contract, according to Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Graham, who worked out for the Eagles earlier this week, came into the league as a third-round pick of the Bills in 2012 and has also logged regular-season action with the Jets and Saints. The 26-year-old caught four passes in as many games for New Orleans last season, giving him 61 receptions in 47 career contests.
  • The Falcons have reached injury settlements with tight end Beau Gardner and guard Adam Replogle, both of whom had undisclosed injuries, writes D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Gardner joined the Falcons as an undrafted free agent from Northern Arizona last year, but he didn’t suit up in any games for the team. Replogle entered the league undrafted out of Indiana in 2013 and has spent his entire pro tenure with the Falcons, though he never appeared in a game with the organization.

Falcons Mince Roster Down To 52 Players

The Falcons are among the final teams to unveil their regular-season roster, and they did so by leaving one spot open.

Atlanta’s roster now sits at 52 players, one below the limit of 53, according to AtlantaFalcons.com.

The team parted ways with Antone Smith, who reached an injury settlement with the team. Out since the Falcons’ preseason opener with a hamstring injury, the 29-year-old backup did not suit up for the team again and will now avoid injured reserve due to this settlement.

Also rehabbing from a broken leg sustained last November, Smith signed a one-year, $1.4MM deal in March to stay in Atlanta.

Injury-plagued veteran tight end Tony Moeaki also couldn’t make the roster. The 28-year-old spent last season with the Seahawks before signing on with the Falcons in March. Atlanta will go with Jacob Tamme and Levine Toilolo as its top two tight ends.

The Falcons placed Jon Asamoah, fullback Collin Mooney and cornerback Travis Howard on injured reserve. Asamoah, a high-priced signing in 2014, suffered a hip injury during preseason workouts.

Those also cut are as follows:

  • LB Derek Akunne
  • OL Pierce Burton
  • CB Akeem King
  • OL Eric Lefeld
  • LB Stansly Maponga
  • NT Joey Mbu
  • WR Carlton Mitchell
  • OL Adam Replogle (waived/injured)
  • RB Jerome Smith
  • TE D.J. Tialavea
  • LB Tyler Starr

Falcons Sign 11 Players To Futures Deals

The Falcons have signed 11 players to reserve/future contracts for next season, according to a list compiled by Mike Wilkening of ProFootballTalk.com. The full list is below:

The organization retained its entire practice squad. The only new addition is Shuler. The former seventh-rounder has bounced around a bit since entering the league in 2010, including a brief stint with Atlanta. The son of former All-Pro tight end Mickey Shuler, the 28-year-old has two receptions for 44 yards in his brief career.

Falcons Sign Three Players, Put Three On IR

Three Falcons players are headed to injured reserve, the team announced today (Twitter links). Starting center Joe Hawley and right tackle Lamar Holmes have been placed on season-ending IR with ACL and foot injuries, respectively. Safety William Moore was also placed on injured reserve, though he received the designation to return, so he’ll be eligible to return from his shoulder injury after eight weeks.

Atlanta has filled two of its three newly-opened roster spots by promoting a pair of players from its practice squad, according to the team (Twitter link). Guard Harland Gunn and safety Sean Baker are two of the newest additions to the Falcons’ 53-man roster. Per D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution (via Twitter), that final open roster spot will be filled by veteran tackle Cameron Bradfield, who was cut by the Jaguars earlier this month.

Hawley and Holmes hadn’t been playing exceptionally well in the early going — both players had negative grades, according to Pro Football Focus. Still, they were adding some stability to a unit that is missing veteran Sam Baker and has seen rookie Jake Matthews get a little banged up as well.

With Hawley and Holmes now out of the mix, the club worked out a handful of offensive linemen today, including Leroy Harris, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). It appears for now though that Atlanta will try to get by with Gunn and Bradfield providing depth, as Peter Konz and Gabe Carimi appear likely to assume starting roles.

Safety Kimario McFadden and guard Adam Replogle have filled the two newly-opened spots on the Falcons’ practice squad, reports Ledbetter (via Twitter). Both players were cut by the team at the end of the preseason.

Falcons Release Pat Angerer, Others

3:17pm: The Falcons have issued a press release announcing their first wave of final cuts. In addition to confirming the cuts noted below, the team also parted ways with the following players:

  • Nosa Eguae (DE)
  • Jordan Mabin (CB)
  • Freddie Martino (WR)
  • Kimario McFadden (S)
  • Jacob Pedersen (TE)
  • Adam Replogle (OL)
  • Donte Rumph (DT)
  • Josh Vaughan (RB)

1:27pm: Fullback Maurice Hagens is the Falcons’ latest roster casualty, per McClure (via Twitter).

12:51pm: The Falcons have also released offensive lineman Pat McQuistan, according to ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure (on Twitter).

12:09pm: The Falcons are set to release linebacker Pat Angerer, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (on Twitter). Fellow linebacker Yawin Smallwood, who was taken in the seventh-round of this year’s draft, will also get cut.

Angerer, a 2010 second-round pick, underwent microfracture surgery in December. At the time, the veteran was told that his chances of returning were slim, but he was healthy enough to be a consideration for the Falcons this offseason.

It was about 50-50 but more like 20 percent chance of coming back (with) the way my knee was,” Angerer told Michael Cunningham of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “It was pretty beat up. To come back and to even be on the field, that’s a pretty big accomplishment and something I’m really proud of. I’m looking forward to taking advantage of the opportunity.”

Angerer, 27, racked up 226 tackles in his first two NFL seasons but has played more sparsely over the last two years, in part due to foot and knee injuries. Many expected Angerer to be a shoe-in for the Falcons after they lost Sean Weatherspoon for the year, but it was not meant to be.