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Atlanta Falcons News & Rumors

Falcons Release O’Brien Schofield

October 4th, 2016 at 6:20pm CST by Dallas Robinson

O’Brien Schofield‘s reunion with the Falcons didn’t last long, as Atlanta has cut the veteran linebacker to make room for new addition A.J. Hawk, the club announced today. The Falcons also officially placed linebacker Sean Weatherspoon on injured reserve after he suffered an Achilles injury on Sunday."<strong

[RELATED: Falcons Sign A.J. Hawk]

The Falcons made Schofield an offer early on in the offseason, but he held out for more money. Schofield appears to have misjudged the market as the Falcons did not improve their offer and interest from other teams was mild to say the least. The Patriots met with Schofield in August and the Jets hosted him on a visit in September, but neither meeting led to a deal.

Schofield, 29, followed Dan Quinn from the Seahawks to the Falcons, signing a one-year, $1.7MM deal with Atlanta last year. He finished the year with 28 tackles, four tackles for losses, two sacks, 13 quarterback hits, and one forced fumble.

Because they signed Schofield after the start of the regular season, the Falcons won’t be on the hook for the rest of his minimum salary.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Falcons Sign A.J. Hawk

October 4th, 2016 at 1:57pm CST by Zachary Links

The Falcons have signed linebacker A.J. Hawk, according to his agent Mike McCartney (via Twitter). Atlanta was reported to have interest in the veteran earlier today and it didn’t take long for a deal to materialize. A.J. Hawk (vertical)

At the age of 32 (33 in January), Hawk may not be the player that he once was. However, he brings a ton of experience to the table along with his hard-nosed playing style. In his third year in the NFL, Hawk helped the Packers capture the Super Bowl championship following the 2010 season. In total, he spent nine years with Green Bay but he was not retained after a so-so 2014 season. Last year, he hooked on with the Bengals and he started a career-low eleven games.

Now, Hawk has a new opportunity in Atlanta thanks to the rash of injuries they have suffered at linebacker. Hawk will presumably suit up for Atlanta on Sunday when they try to advance to 4-1 against the Broncos.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Falcons Have Interest In A.J. Hawk

October 4th, 2016 at 1:24pm CST by Zachary Links

The Falcons have interest in veteran linebacker A.J. Hawk, sources tell Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The team has four linebackers injured, so Hawk would make a lot of sense for Dan Quinn‘s squad. One month into the season, Atlanta finds itself without Sean Weatherspoon, Paul Worrilow, De’Vondre Campbell, and Deion Jones. Jones suffered a calf injury in Week 4 and his status for this upcoming week is currently unknown. A.J. Hawk (Vertical)

Hawk, who spent the first nine years of his NFL career in Green Bay, signed a two-year deal with the Bengals in 2015, but ultimately only played out half of that contract before being given his release. In his lone season in Cincinnati, Hawk was a part-time contributor at linebacker, picking up 24 tackles and a sack.

Hawk auditioned for Miami roughly three weeks ago, but that workout did not lead to a deal.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

14 Players Returning From Suspension

October 3rd, 2016 at 7:06pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Fourteen players will return from four-game suspensions this week, according to Howard Balzer (Twitter links: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6). The most high-profile returnee, of course, is quarterback Tom Brady, who will re-join the 3-1 Patriots on Sunday against the Browns.

The following players have completed their suspensions:

The club that employs each player will receive a short roster exemption that ends the day following the team’s Week 5 game. that means the 49ers’ exemption for Lynch ends Friday, the Panthers’ exemption for Scott ends next Tuesday, and the rest end next Monday.

Sterup, meanwhile, was on the Chiefs’ practice squad when he was banned, but he hasn’t completed the PED reinstatement requirements, according to Balzer. So although he can sign with a new club, Sterup can’t practice or play until he’s approved by the league.

Falcons LB Weatherspoon Suffers Torn Achilles

October 3rd, 2016 at 11:03am CST by Zachary Links

Falcons linebacker Sean Weatherspoon has suffered a torn Achilles tendon, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Weatherspoon will presumably be shut down for the season and placed on IR. Sean Weatherspoon (vertical)

Sadly, this marks the second time that Weatherspoon has suffered an Achilles tear in his career. The 28-year-old (29 in October) missed the entire 2014 season thanks to that injury. In 2015, he left Atlanta for the Cardinals and saw just 159 defensive snaps. This offseason, he returned to the Falcons with the hope of earning more playing time. He started three of Atlanta’s four games this season, tallying 27 total tackles.

Weatherspoon originally entered the NFL as a Falcons first-round draft pick, joining the team as the 19th player selected in the 2010 draft. In 2011, his only full season, he showed what he is capable of as he racked up 125 tackles and four sacks. Unfortunately, he has since been held back by his Achilles issues plus knee and foot problems.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NFL Waiver Priority Now Based On 2016 Record

September 27th, 2016 at 2:15pm CST by Zachary Links

We’re coming up on Week 4 of the NFL season and that means that waiver claim priority will be based on the current league standings instead of last year’s. Of course, waiver priority is based on the inverted NFL standings, which have built in tiebreakers to sort out the many logjams that naturally occur.

Throughout the offseason and the first three weeks of the regular season, the Titans enjoyed top priority thanks to their 3-13 finish last year. Now, we have a brand new pecking order. Here is a full rundown of the current waiver claim priority, which will change from week to week:

1. Jaguars
2. Saints
3. Bears
4. Browns
5. Chargers
6. Lions
7. Jets
8. Cardinals
9. Bills
10. Colts
11. Dolphins
12. 49ers
13. Buccaneers
14. Bengals
15. Titans
16. Redskins
17. Panthers
18. Falcons
19. Cowboys
20. Giants
21. Raiders
22. Packers
23. Chiefs
24. Rams
25. Seahawks
26. Texans
27. Steelers
28. Ravens
29. Eagles
30. Broncos
31. Vikings
32. Patriots

Falcons’ Keanu Neal To Make Debut Monday

September 24th, 2016 at 6:42pm CST by Dallas Robinson

17th overall pick Keanu Neal will make his NFL debut for the Falcons on Monday night against the Saints, head coach Dan Quinn told reporters, including Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. Quinn said Neal “will play a lot,” tweets D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, but won’t be on the field for every snap.Keanu Neal

[RELATED: Falcons Re-Sign O’Brien Schofield]

Neal will likely split snaps with fellow safety Kemal Ishmael, who’s seen action on nearly every defensive play this season while filling in for Neal, who has been sidelined since late August with a knee injury. Ishmael has produced at a slightly below average level, grading as the league’s No. 39 safety among 70 qualifiers, according to Pro Football Focus. Atlanta’s defense as a whole, however, could certainly use a boost, as they’ve ranked 30th in DVOA through two games.

Back in August, PFR’s scouting guru Dave-Te Thomas lauded Neal’s playmaking ability while looking at the Falcons’ Impact Rookies:

Neal is a smooth, fluid mover who has done quite a nice job of making plays at the opposite side of the field, thanks to his burst, second gear, and ability to sift through traffic to get to the ball. He shows excellent ball reactionary skills, along with the quick decision-making process to close on the play with good urgency. He can change direction in an instant and does a nice job of maintaining position when challenged by lead blockers assisting vs. the ground game.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Falcons To Re-Sign O’Brien Schofield

September 22nd, 2016 at 9:00am CST by Zachary Links

For months, O’Brien Schofield has been lobbying for a return to the Falcons. It took a while, but the veteran linebacker is on his way back to Atlanta, as Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com tweets. It’s a one-year deal for the Falcons and Schofield, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. The Falcons have confirmed the deal via press release. To make room, the team has waived running back Terron Ward.

O'Brien Schofield (vertical)

Schofield will likely play SAM linebacker for the Falcons and help with the pass rush on occasion, McClure writes. The 29-year-old signed a one-year, $1.7MM deal with Atlanta last year and finished out the year with 28 tackles, four tackles for losses, two sacks, 13 quarterback hits, and one forced fumble.

The Falcons made Schofield an offer early on in the offseason, but he held out for more money. Schofield appears to have misjudged the market as the Falcons did not improve their offer and interest from other teams was mild to say the least. The Patriots met with Schofield in August and the Jets hosted him on a visit in September, but neither meeting led to a deal.

Schofield followed Dan Quinn to Atlanta last offseason when he signed a one-year, $1.7MM contract. He finished out the year with 28 tackles, four tackles for losses, two sacks, 13 quarterback hits, and one forced fumble.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Paul Worrilow Out 3-4 Weeks

September 21st, 2016 at 9:55pm CST by Connor J. Byrne
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