Falcons Sign Duron Harmon
The Falcons have officially signed safety Duron Harmon to a one-year deal, per a club announcement. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. In related news, the Falcons also confirmed their signing of veteran wide receiver/kick returner Cordarrelle Patterson. 
[RELATED: Falcons To Sign Cordarrelle Patterson]
Harmon, 30, spent his first seven NFL seasons with the Patriots, providing reliable play with near-perfect attendance. Last year, old friend Matt Patricia brought him to Detroit in an exchange of late-round picks. Harmon went on to start in all 16 of the Falcons’ games, tallying 73 tackles, two interceptions, and five passes defensed along the way. Last year, Harmon earned a base salary of $3.5MM – this time around, he’ll likely earn less with the Falcons.
Harmon may not be an All-Pro, but he is a durable defender who can give the Falcons some badly needed depth at safety. Unless the Falcons score an impact rookie in the draft, he may be tapped to start at free safety opposite of Erik Harris.
For his career, the Rutgers product has 248 tackles, two tackles for loss, 19 interceptions, and 33 passes defensed to his credit. He’s also a three-time Super Bowl champion (including Super Bowl LI).
Falcons To Sign Cordarrelle Patterson
The Falcons have agreed to terms with Cordarrelle Patterson (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo). The veteran wide receiver/kick returner will head to Atlanta on a one-year, $3MM deal. 
Patterson, 30, entered the league as a first-round round pick of the Vikings in 2013. Expectations were sky-high — especially since mock drafts had the Tennessee product going much higher than No. 29 overall. Unfortunately, Patterson never developed into the superstar receiver he was made out to be. By 2015, the 6’2″ athlete barely factored into the Vikings’ offense, playing in 16 games and gaining just 25 yards from scrimmage.
However, he did earn first-team All-Pro honors in 2013, ’16, ’19, and ’20 on the strength of his kick returns. The Vikings didn’t get everything they hoped for, but the Raiders, Patriots, and Bears were mostly happy with the human highlight reel.
Over the last two seasons with the Bears, Patterson turned two kickoffs into touchdowns for Chicago with an overall average of 29.2 yards per return. He also logged 32 catches for 215 yards, plus 81 carries out of the backfield for 335 yards and a touchdown.
Falcons Meet With Cordarrelle Patterson
Veteran wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson visited with the Falcons on Wednesday (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo). If all goes well, the accomplished kick returner is expected to sign fairly quickly. 
“I’m going to miss my boys in Chicago,” Patterson tweeted, an indication that he’s on the verge of signing with Atlanta.
If signed, Patterson will provide new special teams coordinator Marquice Williams with a dynamic return man capable of breaking games wide open. Patterson’s done the bulk of his work on kickoffs, but he could also factor into punt returns.
Patterson, a former first-round pick of the Vikings, has spent the last two seasons with the Bears. In that span, he’s recorded 32 catches for 215 yards, plus ran 81 carries out of the backfield for 335 yards and a touchdown. On special teams, he turned two kickoffs into touchdowns for Chicago with an overall average of 29.2 yards per return, just a tick behind his previous 30.0 ypr.
Last time around in free agency, Patterson scored a two-year, $10MM deal from the Bears that included $5MM fully guaranteed. This time, the 30-year-old will likely sign for less.
Falcons, Broncos, Jets, Panthers To Attend Justin Fields’ Second Pro Day
7:05pm: The Panthers will be there as well, per Joe Person of The Athletic (on Twitter). Carolina holds the No. 8 overall pick and represents a key domino for this draft. Although the Panthers acquired Sam Darnold from the Jets, GM Scott Fitterer said they will still consider a quarterback in Round 1. Carolina brass considered trading up for a quarterback but deemed the price too high. Fitterer was there for Fields’ pro day, when the Darnold talks heated up.
5:02pm: The key figures in the Falcons’ new power structure each attended Justin Fields‘ initial pro day late last month. The team will send three staffers to Columbus for the quarterback’s second pro day Wednesday, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets.
GM Terry Fontenot, HC Arthur Smith and OC Dave Ragone each trekked to central Ohio to watch Fields throw two weeks ago. The Falcons are set to join the 49ers and Patriots at the second Fields showcase, though select other teams should be expected to be represented as well.
The Jets and Broncos will also have reps on hand in Columbus, Breer adds (via Twitter). Gang Green’s presence may be academic, with the team locked on Zach Wilson with its No. 2 pick. The Broncos, who hold pick No. 9, pose as a more interesting team regarding Fields. But the Falcons will have first dibs for the decorated passer.
Both Fields and Trey Lance moved to schedule second pro days, doing so after 49ers bigwigs Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch did not attend their first workouts. The 49ers did not have the No. 3 overall pick when Lance threw early last month, and Lynch and Shanahan opted to attend Mac Jones‘ workout instead of Fields’ two weeks ago. Holding pick No. 4, the Falcons will continue to be linked to quarterbacks as well. They could go in a few directions with their highest draft choice in 13 years.
The Falcons could also use their No. 4 pick to draft this year’s top non-quarterback prospect. Several execs around the league expect them to do just that and grab Florida tight end Kyle Pitts. They could trade the pick or select Ryan’s successor. With the 49ers linked to Jones or Lance at No. 3, Fields is expected to be available at 4. Atlanta, however, restructured Matt Ryan‘s contract earlier this offseason. That decision will make moving the 13-year starter’s contract in 2022 difficult.
Like Trevor Lawrence, Fields is a Georgia native. He transferred from Georgia to Ohio State and succeeded Dwayne Haskins as the Buckeyes’ starter, enjoying a dominant two-year run in this role. The Falcons have not picked in the top five since drafting Ryan in 2008, and a recent report indicated Fontenot was in favor of drafting his successor while Smith preferred to add an impact talent to complement Ryan. The head coach and GM are now believed to be in agreement on how the team will proceed at 4.
Broncos GM George Paton was at both Lance and Fields’ first pro days. After insisting the Broncos will add a notable QB this offseason, Paton has shown considerable patience. The Broncos made an offer for Matthew Stafford and inquired about Sam Darnold. But Stafford, Darnold and Carson Wentz went elsewhere, joining the top free agent passers available in that regard. This would seemingly point the Broncos to a first-round QB pick, but given the way this draft is shaping up, the team may need to trade up from 9 to even land the fifth of this year’s coveted passing prospects.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/13/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: TE Ryan Becker
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: FB Mikey Daniel, DL Frank Herron, DE P.J. Johnson
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived: TE Chase Harrell
Washington Football Team
- Claimed (from Texans): OL Beau Benzschawel
- Signed: TE Sammis Reyes
NFL Teams Expect Falcons To Draft Kyle Pitts?
There’s no shortage of suitors for the Falcons’ No. 4 overall pick, but it’s not a given that they’ll trade down. There’s also the possibility that they’ll stay put and draft a quarterback. Meanwhile, a number of league sources tell Peter King of NBC Sports that they expect the Falcons to stand pat and select Florida tight end Kyle Pitts. 
[RELATED: Cowboys Infatuated With Pitts?]
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard the Falcons connected to the dynamic athlete. Pitts personally believes that the Falcons are high on him and new head coach Arthur Smith would reportedly prefer to take a non-quarterback while banking on the continued health of Matt Ryan. For all intents and purposes, the Falcons know that Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson won’t be available at No. 4, which leaves two of the three remaining QBs (Mac Jones, Trey Lance, and Justin Fields) on the table for them. That’s not a bad group to choose from, but they may prefer Pitts’ combination of wide receiver skills coupled with an offensive lineman’s wingspan.
There’s little doubt that the Falcons are high on Pitts, because just about every team is drooling over his potential. That includes teams like the Cowboys, who are well out of range. Jerry Jones has more pressing needs to fill than the tight end position, but some believe it’s possible that he could move up the board for him anyway.
Falcons HC, GM Aligned On No. 4 Pick?
It’s no longer a house divided. Falcons GM Terry Fontenot and head coach Arthur Smith are now “aligned” on what to do with the No. 4 overall pick in the draft, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 
Earlier this week, we heard that Fontenot was pushing for a quarterback. Meanwhile, Smith wanted to stay the course with Matt Ryan. Ryan is on the verge of his 36th birthday, but he’s been durable and fairly steady.
Of course, we don’t know where the Falcons ultimately landed, and we probably won’t know for sure until the draft kicks off on April 29th in Cleveland. The Falcons are in an enviable position — the Jaguars, Jets, and 49ers are all expected to tap quarterbacks with the first three picks, which would allow them to take the best non-quarterback in this year’s class. They could also trade down and parlay that pick into a wealth of ammo for 2022 and beyond.
If they resist the urge to take a QB, the Falcons could select Florida tight end Kyle Pitts, Oregon offensive tackle Penei Sewell, LSU wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, or Alabama cornerback Patrick Surtain II. Or, if they stand pat to grab Matt Ryan’s successor, they could come away with Trey Lance — the North Dakota State product who could have more upside than Zach Wilson and Mac Jones (basically, a higher ceiling than any passer not named Trevor Lawrence).
This Date In Transactions History: Falcons Acquire Eric Metcalf
The Falcons assembled their premier receiving corps when Julio Jones joined Roddy White in 2011, and their Jones-Calvin Ridley duo currently resides as one of the NFL’s best. However, the franchise did piece together an intriguing cadre of aerial weapons during the mid-1990s. That crew achieved a rare NFL feat.
Atlanta rounded out that receiving corps on April 6, 1995. Twenty-six years ago, the Falcons finalized a trade that brought Eric Metcalf over from the Browns. The then-Bill Belichick-coached team agreed to a high-profile pick-swap deal, a well Belichick has gone to frequently with the Patriots, to send the all-purpose threat to Atlanta. The Falcons sent the No. 10 overall pick to the Browns for Metcalf and No. 26. This trade ended up impacting the NFL into the 2010s; the ultimate winner of this deal did not yet exist when the transaction was finalized.
While Metcalf was technically a running back in Cleveland, the Browns used him in several capacities. The 1989 first-round pick made an impact out of the backfield, as an outlet option and, perhaps most significantly, as a lethal return specialist in six Browns seasons. But Cleveland opted to part with its athletic chess piece to move up 16 draft slots.
Atlanta moved Metcalf to wide receiver, teaming him with 1994 free agent acquisition Terance Mathis and homegrown talent Bert Emanuel. Although the Falcons’ Jeff George trade did not end up working out, the strong-armed quarterback helped the Metcalf-Mathis-Emanuel group become the NFL’s second wide receiver trio that saw each of its members surpass 1,000 yards in a season. While the Air Coryell Chargers were the first to have three 1,000-yard pass catchers, Kellen Winslow was a tight end. Only four wideout trios have gone 1,000-1,000-1,000 — 1989 Washington, the ’95 Falcons, the 2004 Colts and ’08 Cardinals.
Metcalf enjoyed by far his most productive receiving season in 1995, catching 104 passes for 1,189 yards and eight touchdowns. Despite having never played the position full-time as a pro, Metcalf led his new team in receiving. That Falcon edition made the playoffs at 9-7, losing to the Packers in the first round. June Jones‘ pass-heavy offense was not as productive in 1996, when the Falcons released George in-season and went 3-13, and Metcalf joined the Chargers in free agency the following year. Metcalf earned first-team All-Pro honors as a returner in his lone San Diego season and played until 2002.
As for the draft choices exchanged, the Browns — in their final draft before morphing into the Ravens — traded out of No. 10, moving down to No. 30. The 49ers climbed up to draft wide receiver J.J. Stokes. With the Browns relocating to Baltimore in 1996, they did not reap this trade’s primary benefit. In their first draft, the Ravens used the additional Browns-obtained first-rounder (No. 26 in 1996) to draft Ray Lewis. With its No. 30 overall pick in ’95, Cleveland selected linebacker Craig Powell. The Falcons chose safety Devin Bush 26th in 1995. Bush played four Falcons seasons, with his final Atlanta game being Super Bowl XXXIII; his son became a Steelers first-round pick in 2019.
Falcons GM, HC Split On Drafting QB?
Earlier this morning, we heard that the Falcons were open to moving down from the fourth overall pick. Now, we have some more details on what’s happening inside the building.
Atlanta’s new GM Terry Fontenot apparently favors drafting a quarterback, while new head coach Arthur Smith does not, Chris Mortensen of ESPN reported recently, via Evan Birchfield of The Falcoholic. “What I’m hearing is that [Terry] Fontenot is more focused on quarterback, and Arthur Smith believes that Matt Ryan does have two or more years left,” Mortensen said.
While that big split between a GM and head coach in their first year together might not be ideal, it doesn’t sound like the situation has turned toxic or anything. The fact that Atlanta is open to moving the pick would seem to indicate that Smith’s view might be winning out.
“He has no real medical history, he hasn’t missed many games in his career and there hasn’t been a big drop off in his play,” Mortensen said of Smith’s view of Ryan. Interestingly, Mortensen also had some info on who the Falcons might pick if Fontenot gets his way.
“One thing I do hear though is that if they do go quarterback at No. 4, then Trey Lance is probably the guy,” he said. It sounds like there’s a real possibility that Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Mac Jones, and Lance go 1-4. Ryan, 36 next month, is signed through the 2023 season.
Falcons Open To Moving No. 4 Pick
The Falcons have received calls from multiple teams and are open to trading out of the No. 4 spot, according to a source who spoke with ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). With the Jaguars, Jets, and 49ers effectively locked into the first three picks, the Falcons hold the highest available pick for teams looking to move up.
[RELATED: Falcons Interested In Pitts At No. 4?]
The Broncos, at No. 9 overall, would be a prime candidate to advance up the board. There will be three quarterbacks selected to start the draft, so Denver can’t really afford to be patient on passers. Trevor Lawrence, of course, is ticketed for the top pick. After that, BYU’s Zach Wilson is likely to go No. 2 overall. Depending on which way the 49ers go, that could still leave Ohio State’s Justin Fields or North Dakota’s Trey Lance there for the taking. The Patriots (No. 15) and the Bears (No. 20) could also be interested in making a jump.
Still, the Falcons seem to be interested in University of Florida tight end Kyle Pitts and the No. 4 choice would guarantee his availability. Ditto for LSU wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, Oregon tackle Penei Sewell, or any non-QB that catches their eye.
Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald hears that at least one team calling the Falcons about their top draft choice does not need a QB. Such a club is presumably eyeing Pitts, Chase, or Sewell, and while all are potentially elite talents, it will take a tremendous offer to convince the Falcons to part with their pick.