Falcons Trade TE Eric Saubert To Patriots
The Patriots have yet another tight end. On Monday, the Falcons shipped Eric Saubert to the Pats in exchange for a conditional seventh-round pick, as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets. 
Saubert, a fifth-round pick in the 2017 draft, has just five catches to his credit over the last two seasons. However, he’s known for his blocking ability and has been a special teams regular for the Falcons. Last year, Saubert appeared in 66% of the club’s special teams plays, and he could fill a similar role with New England.
It’s also possible that bigger things could be in store for Saubert as he joins the Rob Gronkowski-less Patriots. The Pats will be without Ben Watson, their would-be Gronk replacement, for the first four weeks of the season, so there’s a clear opportunity for Saubert to make the cut and see the field.
For the Pats, it’s an extremely low-cost opportunity to bolster a weakened position. Sitting dead last in waiver priority, they might not have landed the third-year pro out of Drake if they waited for him to be released.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/11/19
Here are Sunday’s minor moves, with the list being updated throughout the day.
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: DL Pasoni Tasini
Carolina Panthers
- Placed on IR: OL Dillon Gordon
Denver Broncos
- Signed: CB Rashard Causey
- Waived: LB Jeff Holland
Detroit Lions
- Signed: WR Deontez Alexander
- Waived/injured: LB Tre Lamar
Green Bay Packers
- Claimed off waivers from Jets: CB Derrick Jones
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: CB Isaiah Langley
- Waived: TE Zach Conque
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: LB Terrance Smith
- Waived/injured: DL Jonathan Woodard
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: T Nate Wozniak
- Waived: G Tyler Catalina
Oakland Raiders
- Claimed off waivers from Falcons: DB Hamp Cheevers
- Placed on IR: CB D.J. Killings
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: CB Sojourn Shelton
- Waived/injured: WR Shelton Gibson
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: S Micah Abernathy
Washington Redskins
- Signed: QB Jalan McClendon, DB DeJuan Neal, LB Darrell Williams
- Placed on IR: QB Josh Woodrum
- Waived: WR T.J. Rahming
- Waived/injured: LB Garrett Sickels
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/9/19
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: LB Chase Middleton
- Waived: DB Hamp Cheevers
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DT Brandin Bryant, OT Travis Vornkahl
Denver Broncos
- Signed: OT Adam Bisnowaty
- Placed on IR: TE Austin Fort
Detroit Lions
- Signed: TE Brandon Barnes
- Waived: CB Isaiah Langley
Houston Texans
- Waived/injured: DE Ira Lewis
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: WR Quadree Henderson, LB Davis Tull
- Waived/injured: WR Marcus Simms (concussion)
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/6/19
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: T Jarron Jones
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: OL Tommy Doles
- Placed on IR: QB Kurt Benkert
Cleveland Browns
- Released from IR: WR Blake Jackson
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: OL Lukayus McNeil
Detroit Lions
- Signed: CB Johnathan Alston
- Waived/injured: Tarvarus McFadden
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Placed on IR: LB James Onwualu
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: P Brock Miller
New York Jets
- Waived: TE Nick Truesdell
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: DE Kasim Edebali, CB Ajene Harris
- Placed on IR: DE Joe Ostman
- Waived/injured: T Casey Tucker
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: CB Jermaine Ponder
- Waived: CB Derrek Thomas
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: LB Chris Worley
- Waived: WR Nyqwan Murray
Falcons Not Planning McGary Redshirt Year
Kaleb McGary does not have a return timetable. One of the Falcons’ two first-round offensive linemen, McGary is sidelined indefinitely because of a heart procedure he recently underwent.
The Falcons can expect to be without the former Washington Husky for a while, but they are not preparing for a full-season absence. Dan Quinn said (via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo, on Twitter) the team is “by no means” planning a redshirt season for the talented blocker. Reports of the procedure’s effectiveness have been good thus far, Quinn added.
The minimally invasive operation McGary underwent is not new territory for him. He had the cardiac ablation procedure done twice in college and missed approximately two months’ worth of time after each instance. It seems reasonable Atlanta will have to make adjustments to its projected Week 1 line, however.
At full strength, Atlanta’s line was supposed to include two Pro Bowlers, two first-round picks and a free agent addition (either James Carpenter or Jamon Brown). Now, guard Chris Lindstrom looks like he will be the only rookie in the Falcons’ lineup in September. McGary was in line to eventually seize the team’s right tackle job. Ty Sambrailo, who signed an offseason extension, would stand to fill that spot now.
Falcons Bring Back QB Matt Simms
Matt Simms‘ most recent NFL stay occurred in 2017 Falcons training camp. He will resurface in Atlanta two years later, creating a three-Matt Falcons quarterback depth chart.
The Falcons signed Simms on Saturday. This comes after third-string quarterback Kurt Benkert suffered a toe injury — one NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport described as “major” (on Twitter) — in Thursday’s Hall of Fame Game.
Benkert, a 2018 UDFA, was vying for the backup job to Matt Ryan with veteran Matt Schaub. The latter made a late re-entrance Thursday after Benkert’s toe malady forced him to leave the Canton game. It appears Benkert will be out a while.
Simms has not thrown a pass in a regular-season game since the 2014 season, which he spent with the Jets. He will turn 31 in September. His most recent NFL connection came in a September 2018 workout with the 49ers. The son of Phil Simms, Matt Simms spent the summers of 2016 and ’17 with the Falcons and was on the 2016 NFC champions’ practice squad. He worked in both Kyle Shanahan and Steve Sarkisian‘s offenses and will now attempt to stick around in Dirk Koetter‘s.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/2/19
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: LB Hayes Pullard, WR Isaac Zico, OL Parker Ehinger, OL Patrick Lawrence
- Waived: OL Tariq Cole, RB Xavier Turner
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: S Ronald Martin, CB Hamp Cheevers
- Waived: CB Rashard Causey, LS Kyle Vasey
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: TE Mik’Quan Deane
- Waived/injured: WR Blake Jackson
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: OL Jamar McGloster
- Claimed off waivers from Cowboys: OL Larry Allen Jr.
- Waived/injured: LB Tre’von Johnson, OL Cole Toner
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: LB Nick DeLuca
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: TE Alex Ellis
- Waived: LB Joey Alfieri, Godwin Igwebuike
Washington Redskins
- Signed: DB D.J. White
- Waived: LS Andrew East
Falcons’ Kaleb McGary To Undergo Heart Surgery
Falcons rookie offensive lineman Kaleb McGary underwent a cardiac ablation procedure on Wednesday, per a team announcement. McGary had this surgery twice before and missed approximately two months after the last operation while at Washington.
The good news for the first-round pick is that the cardiac ablation procedure is a minimally-invasive surgery. The club will have a better sense of his timetable after he comes out of the operating room.
The Falcons used their first Round 1 pick (No. 14) overall on Boston College guard Chris Lindstrom. But, they weren’t done revamping their offensive line, and they refused to let McGary get away. The Falcons traded their second- and third-round picks to the Rams to move back into the first round and snag McGary at No. 31 overall, giving them an alternative to Ty Sambrailo at right tackle.
Latest On Julio Jones Extension Talks
- It’s now been over a year since the Falcons and Julio Jones renegotiated his contract, as Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com observes. That means that the two sides are free to make a new deal official, though McClure still does not think it will happen before Michael Thomas signs his extension with New Orleans.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/26/19
A batch of minor transactions on a busy day across the league:
Atlanta Falcons:
- Signed: LB Richie Brown
- Waived: OT Lanard Bonner
- Placed on IR: DL Michael Bennett
Denver Broncos
- Signed: WR Nick Williams
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: RB Corey Grant
Houston Texans
- Claimed off waivers from Saints: WR Chad Hansen
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: LB Drew Lewis
- Waived: LB Tre Thomas
Minnesota Vikings
- Placed on IR: DE Tashawn Bower (Achilles)
New England Patriots
- Signed: OL J.J. Dielman
Philadelphia Eagles
- Claimed off waivers from 49ers: CB Alex Brown
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: OL Dillon Day
- Released: DL Cedric Thornton