Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
Atlanta Falcons
New Orleans Saints
Oakland Raiders
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Washington Redskins
Dieugot Joseph hasn’t had a chance to see the field for a regular season game during his brief career, but the lineman is apparently generating interest as a free agent. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports (via Twitter) that Joseph is set to visit with the Redskins and Falcons this week.
The FIU product went undrafted during the 2017 draft, but he quickly caught on with the Bears. He hung around with Chicago’s practice squad until mid-September, when the Ravens signed him to their active roster. The offensive tackle joined the Vikings towards the end of that campaign, earning him an eventual reserve/future contract.
Joseph was released by Minnesota last preseason, and he spent the majority of last season on the Jets’ practice squad. He inked a futures contract with the team in December, but he was let go by the organization earlier this month.
The Falcons have done plenty to revamp their offensive line this offseason. The team added two rookie linemen during the first round of the draft (Chris Lindstrom, Kaleb McGary), and they also added a number of free agents (a grouping that includes James Carpenter and Jamon Brown). Meanwhile, the Redskins haven’t done a whole lot to add to their offensive line corps; the team signed free agent Ereck Flowers, and they also added a pair of rookie linemen during the draft.
Since being released by the Buccaneers earlier this week, Gerald McCoy has received his fair share of interest from about a quarter of the league’s teams. Once Tampa Bay quickly signed Ndamukong Suh as his replacement, the veteran defensive tackle became arguably the most impactful free agent left on the market. 
It’s not hard to see why the nine-year veteran is receiving so much attention. Since entering the league in 2010, the Oklahoma product has earned six Pro Bowl selections and a First Team All-Pro nod (2013) while recording at least five sacks in every season since 2012. He is the only defensive tackle who can make that claim.
The list of teams interested in McCoy’s service is a long one that includes the Browns, Ravens, Panthers, Colts, Bengals, Saints, Falcons and Patriots, who have reportedly pulled out of the running recently. As of this writing, only the Browns and Ravens have been linked to visits. According to reports, McCoy is more interested in playing for a contender and making the playoffs for the first time in his career than a pay day.
His fit in Cleveland would be an intriguing one. That would mean the Browns would roll out a defensive line that would feature McCoy, Myles Garrett, Olivier Vernon and Sheldon Richardson. That is one formidable front four. The Browns have been connected to McCoy for some time, but they decided against trading for the defensive tackle while he was under contract for $13MM in the upcoming season. After his Bucs release, the Browns might be able to sign him at a lesser rate without giving up any draft capital.
Staying in the AFC North, Baltimore would provide McCoy a contender as the reigning division champs and a loaded defense to work in. In 2018, Baltimore allowed the fewest yards and the second-fewest points in the league, and would become even better on paper with the addition of McCoy. 
Drew Brees is making his own pitch for McCoy to join the Saints. “He’s a stud, he’s a great player,” Brees said this week. “I mean you’re basically asking me if I would love having a Pro Bowl defensive tackle that I’ve spent the last eight years trying to run around and avoid, not have hit me, join our team. Yeah, of course.” McCoy would team with the recently signed Malcom Brown up the middle for a team considered by many to be a Super Bowl frontrunner in 2019.
The Colts have the cap space to sign McCoy and have been relatively quiet so far this offseason. The longtime star would fill an immediate role as a leader on a young and up-and-coming defensive unit that features the reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year Darius Leonard.
Both the Panthers and Falcons have little in the way of cap room to sign McCoy, but that hasn’t stopped the NFC South squads from readying their pitches for the six-time Pro Bowler.
The Bengals are also interested in McCoy, but they are arguably the furthest away from competing for a playoff spot among the other teams listed. Though pairing McCoy with fellow standout Geno Atkins up the middle would instantly propel Cincinnati into the conversation in the AFC North.
So which team will be the one to land the impact defensive tackle? Is it one of the squads already rumored to be interested, or will a mystery team emerge and secure McCoy’s signature? Vote in the poll (link for app users) and let us know your thoughts in the comment section.
Free agent Gerald McCoy has at least six suitors in pursuit. The Falcons, Patriots, and Saints have shown a level of interest in McCoy since his release from the Buccaneers, according to ESPN.com’s Jenna Laine (on Twitter). As previously reported, the Bengals, Colts, and Browns are also looking into the defensive tackle. 
The Falcons have little in the way of cap space, so they’d have to get creative if they want to sign McCoy. But, after seeing his best work up close for nine seasons, they’re obviously motivated to find a way to make it work.
The Patriots would give McCoy an opportunity to win while pairing with Michael Bennett on the Patriots’ defensive line. The Pats haven’t had a versatile and dominant interior lineman of McCoy’s caliber since the retirement of Vince Wilfork, so he would fill a long-standing need for them.
Meanwhile, Saints quarterback Drew Brees is lobbying hard for McCoy to come to New Orleans.
“He’s a stud, he’s a great player,” Brees said this week. “I mean you’re basically asking me if I would love having a Pro Bowl defensive tackle that I’ve spent the last eight years trying to run around and avoid, not have hit me, join our team. Yeah, of course.”
But, like the Patriots and Falcons, the Saints are working with limited cap room.
Steven Means‘ season is already over. On Wednesday, the Falcons announced that the defensive end will not be able to play in 2019 due to an Achilles injury. 
It’s a frustrating setback for Means, who joined the Falcons after their season opener last year and went on to appear in eight games with four starts. This offseason, the Falcons inked Means to a one-year extension before he could hit the open market, a sign that they had bigger plans for him in the coming year.
Means entered the league as a fifth-round pick of the Bucs in 2013 and has also spent time with the Ravens, Texans and Eagles over the course of his NFL career. He’ll be out of contract after the season, so he may have to don another jersey in 2020.
The good news is that even without Means, the Falcons have a solid DE rotation, including Takkarist McKinley, Vic Beasley, Adrian Clayborn, and fourth-round pick John Cominsky.
Falcons front office exec Scott Pioli raised some eyebrows when he suddenly resigned the other day. Pioli had been an assistant GM and top lieutenant to GM Thomas Dimitroff, so it was a pretty significant departure. Pioli was the Chiefs’ general manager for four seasons before being canned, and he joined the Falcons in 2014. Rumors swirled about the circumstances surrounding his departure and whether he was forced out, but Pioli is insisting nothing happened. In an interview with Jeff Schultz of The Athletic, Pioli said “I’m fine. My family is fine. This was my choice and it’s just time. Time for what, I don’t know, yet,” he said somewhat cryptically.
Dimitroff backed up Pioli’s account, and said his resignation wasn’t to take another specific job. Still, it’s interesting timing considering recent reports that Arthur Blank, the Falcons’ owner, is getting restless with the direction of the franchise. Dimitroff and head coach Dan Quinn are under a lot of pressure to win in 2019, and if they don’t deliver they could be joining Pioli on the open market after the season. With his experience running a team, it’s possible Pioli could be a candidate for future GM openings.
Earlier this week, veteran NFL reporter Peter King wrote in his “Football Morning in America” column that Falcons owner Arthur Blank “is getting restless.” However, in a statement to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Blank said that wasn’t the case, as the owner was happy with the organization’s offseason.
“I’m feeling very good about what (general manager) Thomas (Dimitroff) and (coach) Dan (Quinn) have done this offseason,” Blank said. “We have some key guys getting healthy again, the draft picks are getting up to speed, the new coordinators are meshing well and I’m confident we’re going to be ready to go for a very competitive training camp. I like where we’re going.”
The Falcons have been especially focused on improving their offensive line this offseason. The front office used a pair of first-rounders to select linemen Chris Lindstrom and Kaleb McGary, and they also added projected starter James Carpenter via free agency. The team’s other notable offseason moves include signing defensive linemen Adrian Clayborn and Tyeler Davison, and they also added backup tight end Luke Stocker. The Falcons even reshaped their coaching staff, hiring Dirk Koetter as their offensive coordinator and Ben Kotwica as their special teams coordinator.
However, it isn’t unfair to wonder if the Falcons are floundering. As King noted in his article, the team is 18-17 over their past 35 games (a string that starts with their devastating Super Bowl loss to the Patriots). Furthermore, the team is set to pay quarterback Matt Ryan $30MM over the next half-decade, and they’ll presumably be paying wideout Julio Jones a lucrative contract, as well.
The Falcons have head coach Dan Quinn and GM Thomas Dimitroff under contract through 2022. Their deals would indicate that their fates are tied together, but Blank previously said the duo isn’t necessarily linked if the 2019 season goes poorly.
The Falcons have signed first-round guard Chris Lindstrom, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Lindstrom, the No. 14 overall pick in the draft, will receive a four-year, $14.6MM deal with an $8.6MM signing bonus. 
With that, the Falcons have now signed their entire 2019 draft class. Here’s the rundown, via PFR’s NFL Draft tracker:
Lindstrom has an NFL-ready body at 6’4″ and 310 pounds. Lauded for his athleticism, many evaluators view him as an ideal fit for zone blocking schemes. Meanwhile, NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein offered up high praise of the Boston College product, comparing him to Browns standout guard Joel Bitonio.
Falcons assistant GM Scott Pioli has stepped down, according to a team announcement. Atlanta’s press release offers little in the way of reasons for Pioli’s decision, except to note that he “wants to pursue other opportunities.” 
Pioli joined the Falcons in 2014 after serving as the Chiefs’ GM for four seasons. Before that, Pioli spent time with the Patriots, Jets, Ravens, and Browns.
“We understand and respect the decision Scott, Dallas and their family have come to today and wish them nothing but the best,” Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff said. “Over the last five years Scott has not only provided tremendous value to me, but to the entire the Falcons organization. He is a dear friend and will be missed within our organization. We are continuing to assess the structure within our organization and move forward with our next steps.”
Meanwhile, Pioli says that he never intended to stay with the Falcons for the long haul.
“When I accepted this position more than five years ago, we all believed this would likely be a two or three-year working relationship,” Pioli said. “I came in to work closely with Thomas on personnel structure, processes and decisions. I loved the concept, was confident I could provide value and have enjoyed the challenge. Now, after more than five years with the Falcons, I am ready for a change. I want to thank all of my co-workers at Flowery Branch as it has truly been an honor to be a part of this organization and I am thankful to have been a part of this football team and the Falcons family.”
It’s not immediately clear whether Pioli has his next opportunity lined up, but there is a newly available GM vacancy in New York.
This is the end of the line for former Falcons guard Andy Levitre. On Tuesday, Levitre announced his retirement via social media: 
“Unfortunately, due to injury my body won’t allow me to continue any longer,” Levitre wrote. “Thank you to my wife and children, my family, friends, coaches, teammates and all of the fans who supported me on this journey.”
Levitre came to the Falcons via trade in 2015 and started every game of his first two seasons in Atlanta. Unfortunately, injuries began to slow him down in 2017. In the last two years, Levitre tore both of triceps and was limited to just two games in 2018.
This wasn’t an easy decision for the veteran – in March, Levitre indicated that he would not retire. But, on the eve of his 33rd birthday, Levitre has decided to hang ’em up.
Before joining the Falcons, the former second-round pick spent time with the Bills and Titans. He leaves the sport after playing in 143 games (all starts) over the course of ten seasons.