Falcons Sign Four Rookies
More than half of the Falcons’ draft class is under contract. The following players have put pen to paper, according to a team announcement:
- 4-135: John Cominsky, DE (Charleston)
- 5-152: Qadree Ollison, RB (Pittsburgh)
- 5-172: Jordan Miller, CB (Washington)
- 6-203: Marcus Green, RB (Louisiana-Monroe)
The Falcons still have first-round guard Chris Lindstrom (Boston College), first-round tackle Kaleb McGary (Washington), and fourth-round cornerback Kendall Sheffield (Ohio State) to go. The first rounders may take more time than the rest, but GM Thomas Dimitroff managed to clear a good deal off of his plate with these four deals.
The Falcons were high on Cominsky heading into the draft and gave up a seventh-round pick in a trade with the Raiders in order to move up two spots for him. Cominsky, the 2018 Mountain East Defensive Player of the Year, made 16.5 tackles for loss and three sacks last year.
Miller, meanwhile, will have a familiar face in Atlanta once former teammate McGary signs. He showed that he can be a quality NFL player in his own right after securing two interceptions last year.
Falcons Release G Brandon Fusco
Active in adding guards this offseason, the Falcons parted ways with one of their 2018 acquisitions. They released Brandon Fusco on Monday, NFL reporter Howard Balzer tweets.
Fusco suffered a season-ending ankle injury midway through his first season with the Falcons, and the team released the veteran blocker with a failed-physical designation.
Atlanta added Fusco on a three-year, $12.75MM deal during free agency last year. As a result of this release, the Falcons will incur a $2.5MM dead-money charge. Fusco started seven games for the Falcons last season, but after the team’s free agency additions of James Carpenter and Jamon Brown preceded the Chris Lindstrom first-round selection, the team will go in a different direction.
The 30-year-old lineman has started 87 of the 90 career games he’s played, being part of six Vikings first-string O-lines — including the one that paved the way for his 2015 rushing title — and was a 16-game starter with the 49ers in 2017. The former sixth-round pick will have to heal up before continuing his career.
Falcons Sign 16 Undrafted Free Agents
The Falcons agreed to sign with 16 undrafted college free agents on Monday. Here’s the full breakdown of Atlanta’s eight new offensive players, seven new defenders, and one long snapper:
- Parker Baldwin, FS (San Diego State)
- Shawn Bane, WR (Northwest Missouri)
- Yurik Bethune, LB (Alabama A&M)
- Lanard Bonner, OT (Arkansas State)
- Rashard Causey, CB (Central Florida)
- Tre’ Crawford, LB (Alabama-Birmingham)
- Devon Johnson, OT (Ferris State)
- Kahlil Lewis, WR (Cincinnati)
- Durrant Miles, LB (Boise State)
- Chandler Miller, C (Tulsa)
- Del’Shawn Phillips, LB (Illinois)
- Jaelin Robinson, OT (Temple)
- Jayson Stanley, CB (Georgia)
- Kyle Vasey, LS (Penn State)
- CJ Worton, WR (Florida International)
- Olamide Zaccheaus, WR (Virginia)
Stanley, a wide receiver at Georgia, will aim to show his stuff as a cornerback for the Falcons. The 6’2″, 207-pounder didn’t see a ton of playing time with the Bulldogs, but the Falcons are curious to find out whether his athletic skills can translate to success on the other side of the ball.
Raiders Trade No. 135 To Falcons
The Falcons are moving up two spots. ESPN’s Field Yates reports (via Twitter) that Atlanta has acquired No. 135 from the Raiders. Atlanta will send Oakland No. 137 and No. 230.
The Falcons will use the pick on Charlestown defensive end John Cominsky. NFL.com projects the prospect to be a rotational/backup lineman and a special teamer. The rookie could see an opportunity to contribute on the defensive line, as the Falcons are currently rostering only three backup defensive ends (Adrian Clayborn, Steven Means, and Jacob Tuioti-Mariner).
Lions Trade No. 111 To Falcons
The Falcons have acquired No. 111 from the Lions, reports ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter). Atlanta will send Detroit No. 117 and No. 186. ESPN’s Michael Rothstein was the first to report the trade (via Twitter).
The Falcons have used the pick on Ohio State cornerback Kendall Sheffield. The defensive back spent a redshirt season at Alabama, transferred to Blinn College, and then moved to Ohio State in 2017. He ended up seeing the field for 27 games between two seasons.
Sheffield is also an accomplished track athlete, with his hurdling prowess earning him the Gatorade Texas Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year award in 2014.
Rams Trade No. 31 To Falcons
The Rams have traded the No. 31 pick to the Falcons. Los Angeles will get picks No. 45 and No. 79, while Atlanta will receive No. 31 and No. 203.
Atlanta will select Washington offensive tackle Kaleb McGary. For the second time in the first round, the Falcons will use a first-round pick on a position that they’d already fortified in free agency. Atlanta signed guards Jamon Brown and James Carpenter but used their initial first-round pick on fellow interior lineman Chris Lindstrom. After extending right tackle Ty Sambrailo, the Falcons will now add competition in McGary.
Draft Rumors: Bush, Redskins, Rams
Let’s round up the latest draft rumors in advance of tonight’s main event:
- We heard several days ago that the Falcons were interested in trading into the Top 10, and that they had their sights set on defensive linemen like Christian Wilkins and offensive linemen. Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network confirms that Atlanta is indeed interested in moving up, but his sources say the club’s target is actually linebacker Devin Bush (Twitter link). Per Pelissero, the Falcons would need to leapfrog the Broncos, who hold the No. 10 overall pick, to assure themselves of landing Bush.
- Despite all of the rumors suggesting that the Redskins are interested in making a big trade up into the Top 5, Pro Football Talk says that all of the calls that team president Bruce Allen are making are just an example of Allen being Allen and that Washington doesn’t really have a desire to make a move (Twitter link).
- Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets that the Rams, who hold the No. 31 overall pick in tonight’s draft, have received a number of calls from teams wanting to trade into the back end of the first round. First-rounders, of course, can be kept under club control for five years instead of four.
- As Pelissero notes in a separate tweet, the teams that have shown the most interest in trading down from their current first-round slots are the Jets (No.3), Lions (No. 8), Dolphins (No. 13), Seahawks (Nos. 21 & 29), and Rams (No. 31).
- If Kyler Murray should start to fall down the draft board, he may end up having a better financial future in baseball. As Albert Breer of SI.com notes, MLB’s Oakland A’s have offered him a $14MM “sweetener” on top of the $4.6MM bonus he was already due after the club drafted him last year, for a total of $18.66MM. That number would land between the 10th and 11th overall picks in tonight’s NFL draft, so if Murray ends up falling that far, teams are concerned that he would return to the diamond. But Breer still thinks that Murray will be the No. 1 overall pick tonight.
- Breer calls Mississippi State defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons the most interesting prospect in the draft. He is one of the top defensive players in his class, but the troubling video showing him striking a woman in high school, along with his ACL tear, have completely removed him from some teams’ draft boards. But there is still a good chance that he will be selected in the first round tonight.
- The Panthers and Vikings are both very serious about addressing their needs along the offensive line with early draft picks, as Breer notes in a separate piece. Both clubs used a high number of top-30 visits on O-linemen.
- LSU cornerback Andraez “Greedy” Williams is perhaps the most talented corner in the draft, but as Breer notes, he comes with plenty of red flags concerning his toughness, work ethic, and personality. He did not make a single pre-draft visit, and despite his upside, he could slip out of the first round.
Contract Details: Roethlisberger, Hageman
A look at the details on recent deals from around the NFL:
- Ben Roethlisberger, QB (Steelers): Three years. $80MM, $67.5MM guaranteed. Effectively two-year, $68MM extension. $37.5MM signing bonus, $30MM injury guarantee. $2.5MM base in 2019, $21MM salary + bonuses in 2020, $19MM in 2021. Steelers have an out after two years. Twitter links via ESPN’s Adam Schefter and CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora.
- Ra’Shede Hageman, DT (Falcons): One year. $735K, $15K signing bonus. Details via D. Orlando Ledbetter of AJC.com.
Falcons Pick Up Keanu Neal’s Option
The Falcons exercised the fifth-year option on safety Keanu Neal’s contract, per a team announcement. This was yet another no-brainer fifth-year option decision. 
The 23-year-old (24 in July) has started in all of his games since entering the league as the No. 17 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. In 2017, Neal earned a Pro Bowl nod after racking up 113 tackles, six passes defensed, four tackles for a loss, and one interception. His much anticipated follow-up was wiped out by an ACL tear last year, but he’s set to get back to work in 2019.
A fun fact from the Falcons’ press release: Since the fifth-year option for first-round picks was instituted in 2011, the Falcons have exercised the fifth-year option on each player they’ve selected in the first round. Overall, that’s a good indicator of the Falcons’ success rate inside of the first 32 picks.
Click here for a full rundown of every fifth-year option decision on 2016 first-round picks.
Falcons Considering Trade Up, Could Be Eyeing No. 8 Overall Pick
- Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports continues to hear that the Lions and Jets are interested in trading down from their current first-round slots, and he sees the Falcons as a potential partner for Detroit (Twitter link). Interestingly, Breer hears the same [SOURCE LINK]. Clemson DT Christian Wilkins could be the target if Atlanta wants to move up, though Breer says the team has been “nosing around” offensive linemen as well as defensive linemen.