- While Falcons running back Devonta Freeman won’t hold out in hopes of landing a new contract, he continues to seek top-tier money relative to his position. “I want to be elite paid. Whatever that is, that’s where I want to be — straight up,” Freeman told Josina Anderson of ESPN. Freeman is in lockstep with his agent, Kristin Campbell, who declared prior to Super Bowl LI that the 25-year-old should be in line for “elite” money. As of now, Freeman’s not on track to approach the NFL’s highest-paid backs in 2017, the final year of his contract, as he’s slated to make $1.8MM. There’s still plenty of time for an extension to come together, of course, and both Freeman and the Falcons have made it clear that they want to work something out.
The Falcons are hosting free agent offensive lineman Andrew Gardner today, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
[RELATED: Falcons Meet With DT Sean Lissemore]
Atlanta failed to land a high-profile guard during the free agent period to replace the retired Chris Chester, so the club is now seemingly throwing several possible solutions against the wall to see what sticks. Internal option Ben Garland is a candidate to take over at right guard, while the Falcons also spent a fourth-round pick on Oregon State product Sean Harlow. Additionally, Atlanta signed former Bears interior lineman Cornelius Edison on Wednesday, and he could conceivably be in the running for a starting gig.
Gardner, 31, has bounced around since entering the league in 2009, and most recently spent time with the 49ers at the tail end of last season. His most notable experience, however, came with the Eagles, for whom Gardner started 11 games from 2014-15.
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: LB Mikey Bart
- Waived: DT Collin Bevins
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: OL Cornelius Edison
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: G Dan Skipper
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: P Toby Baker
- Waived: T Mason Zandi
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived: DT Toby Johnson
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: WR Canaan Severin
- Waived: LB Akil Blount, QB Nick Schuessler
The Chargers met with defensive lineman Sean Lissemore on Wednesday, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. 
Lissemore, 30 in September, appeared in 41 games for the Chargers between 2013 and 2015 and made 13 starts during that span. Unfortunately, in August of 2016, he suffered a major injury which ended his season before it even began. Presumably, the William and Mary alum is now healthy enough to play.
Before his time with the Bolts, Lissemore spent three years with the Cowboys. For his career, he has 135 tackles, 6.5 sacks, and one interception to his credit.
Lissemore could be a depth option for Atlanta’s newly revamped defensive line. This offseason, the Falcons made three significant additions by signing free agents Dontari Poe and Jack Crawford and drafting UCLA’s Takkarist McKinley.
Devonta Freeman‘s desire for a new deal is well-documented, thanks in large part to the public approach his management team has taken in the last year. However, the running back says that he won’t be a holdout this summer in an effort to spur talks. 
[RELATED: Eagles DE Brandon Graham Won’t Hold Out Either]
“I’m going to play,” Freeman said (via ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure). “Like I said, business is going to get handled regardless of what, so I just come to work. I’m going to play regardless. I love football. I love to compete. It doesn’t matter about what I did last year, how many Pro Bowls I got, a thousand yards. I want to do it again and even get better, hopefully one day be a Hall of Famer. I want to leave a legacy. And holding out, that’s not going to leave a legacy, because if I hold out, I’m behind. I don’t want to be behind. I want to gain.”
Freeman also indicated in April that he would not stay home during offseason activities, but this is strongest assertion to date. Freeman is definitely underpaid as he’s set to earn $1.8MM in 2017, but he’ll remain solely focused on football as he gears up for the final year of his rookie deal.
“It ain’t hard at all, because I’m good,” said Freeman. “I play football because I love it. … I spoke to other guys about being in similar situations that I’m in right now. The main thing I can do right now is focus on my business, and my business is being the best Devonta Freeman I can be. And business will get taken care of outside of what I do and what I bring. I can just focus on me. When it happens, it happens. It’s going to be a surprise. I’m just patient.”
Freeman’s agent said he would be seeking “elite” money back in January and the running back himself hinted that he was frustrated about splitting carries with 2015 third-round pick Tevin Coleman. If he’s still demanding “elite” money on his next deal, that could mean something that resembles or even exceeds LeSean McCoy‘s five-year, $40.05MM deal signed back in 2015. McCoy’s yearly average of $8.01MM is second only to Le’Veon Bell‘s one-year, $12.12MM tender and his $18.25MM total guarantee is the highest of any non-rookie running back in the league.
Falcons owner Arthur Black is on record as saying that he wants to retain Freeman for years to come, so a new deal could come together this summer without any brazen tactics from the running back or his camp.
The Falcons have signed quarterback Matt Simms, as D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets. To make room, the team waived wide receiver Garrett Scantling.
Simms, the son of former NFL great Phil Simms, appeared in a handful of games for the Jets between 2013 and 2014. He also had a previous stint with the Falcons as well as the Bills, but those unions did not result in live action. The quarterback, who turns 29 in September, currently represents the fourth QB on the Falcons’ depth chart with Matt Ryan, Matt Schaub, and UDFA Alek Torgersen slotted ahead of him.
Scantling, a University of Georgia product, is a former decathlete. The Falcons were hoping to channel his raw ability into football talent, but he’s apparently not there just yet.
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: WR Reggie Davis, DL Taniela Tupou
Chicago Bears
- Signed: WR Titus Davis
- Waived: WR Levonte Whitfield
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: T Victor Salako
- Waived/injured: QB Jerod Evans
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: TE Phazahn Odom (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)
The Falcons have now signed their entire 2017 draft class. First round defensive end Takkarist McKinley, third round linebacker Duke Riley, fifth round running back Brian Hill, and fifth round tight end Eric Saubert are all under contract, the team announced. 
The Falcons traded up to the Seahawks’ No. 26 pick during the first round in order to select McKinley, a former star at UCLA. McKinley went viral for his outpouring of emotions on the stage, but the Falcons believe that he’ll be known more for his play on the field before long. The 6’2″, 250 pound athlete has been widely praised for his high motor and his big wingspan should allow him to fend off blockers at the next level. In his senior year at UCLA, McKinley racked up 61 total tackles, 18 tackles for a loss, and ten sacks – all career highs.
Here’s the complete rundown of the Falcons’ draft class:
- 1-25: Takkarist McKinley, DE (UCLA)
- 3-75: Duke Riley, LB (LSU)
- 4-136: Sean Harlow, OL (Oregon State)
- 5-149: Damontae Kazee, CB (San Diego State)
- 5-156: Brian Hill, RB (Wyoming)
- 5-174: Eric Saubert, TE (Drake)
Today’s draft pick signings:
- The Falcons have agreed to terms with fourth-round guard Sean Harlow and fifth-round safety Damontae Kazee, the club announced today. Harlow, an Oregon State product, started 37 games at offensive tackle during his career with the Beavers. He’ll move to guard in the NFL, however, and he could conceivably have a shot to take Atlanta’s starting right guard job, especially after veteran Hugh Thornton announced his retirement earlier today. Kazee, meanwhile, holds the San Diego State record for career interceptions with 17, and will compete for time at nickelback with 2016 undrafted free agent Brian Poole.
Former Colts guard Hugh Thornton is retiring from the NFL. He signed a free agent deal with the Falcons in March, but he has decided to walk away from the game less than two months later. 
Thornton, 26 in June, started 32 games for the Colts from 2013-2015. The former third-round pick was held back by injuries and had not seen regular season action since December 2015. The reason for his retirement is not immediately known, but it’s safe to assume that his recovery has not gone according to plan.
The former third round pick was slated to be one of the top guard backups for Atlanta this year, offering support to Andy Levitre and Ryan Schraeder. Now, the Falcons will look to 2016 sixth round pick Wes Schweitzer and 2017 fourth round pick as the top reserves at the position.