Falcons Sign Derrick Coleman, Two Others
The Falcons announced the signing of three players on Tuesday afternoon. They have added fullbacks Derrick Coleman and Soma Vainuku plus guard Hugh Thornton. 
Prior to today, the Falcons didn’t have any fullbacks on the roster, so Coleman and Vainuku now make up their entire FB depth chart. Of course, when all is said and done, they could carry just one fullback, or possibly none if they do not care about prioritizing lead blocking. The Falcons lost one of the league’s best fullbacks this offseason when Patrick DiMarco signed with the Bills in free agency.
You might remember Coleman from his time with the Seahawks. An alleged hit-and-run incident in 2015 kept him out of football in 2016, but he avoided jail by agreeing to 240 hours of community service plus 12 months of community supervision. Although he is out of the woods in terms of legal trouble, he still has to serve a four-game NFL suspension. We had him ranked as one of the best remaining fullbacks on the board heading into Tuesday.
Thornton, 26 in June, started 32 games for the Colts from 2013-2015. The former third-round pick has been held back by injuries and has not seen regular season action since December 2015.
Falcons Extend Team President Rich McKay
The Falcons have signed team president and CEO Rich McKay to an extension. The new five-year deal will take him through June 2022. 
“Rich has been so important to our businesses and Atlanta’s growth for many years. We are thrilled to extend his contract with the Falcons and AMB Sports & Entertainment,” said team executive Steve Cannon in a press release. “He has been instrumental in the success of the Atlanta Falcons on and off the field and has played a very important role in making Mercedes-Benz Stadium a reality, and in bringing Major League Soccer to Atlanta. Rich is a great champion of our core values and will continue to be a strong leader in our organization and community for years to come.”
McKay, who has been with the Falcons since 2004, helped to make the Falcons’ forthcoming new stadium a reality. The exec was initially hired in 2004 as the Falcons’ president and general manager, but he was elevated to his present title in 2011, pushing him more towards the business end of things. The Falcons’ statement highlights McKay’s many achievements, including his role on the league’s competition committee and his work to help renegotiate and extend the current collective bargaining agreement. McKay was suspended from the competition committee in the wake of the team’s artificial crowd noise scandal.
Dontari Poe's Contract Has $500K Weight Bonus
Dontari Poe is excited about the opportunity he has with the Falcons, but the defensive tackle understand that he needs to be in shape if he wants to be productive. Talking to ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure, Poe said head coach Dan Quinn echoed that sentiment.
FA Rumors: Butler, Poe, Z. Brown, Raiders
Restricted free agent cornerback Malcolm Butler didn’t emerge from his Saints visit on Thursday with a deal, but the meeting “went well,” a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). As of now, there remains motivation on both sides to hammer out an agreement, Rapoport adds. PFR’s Zach Links laid out a few potential scenarios earlier this week involving Butler, who would surely net the Patriots a quality return in a trade.
More free agency-related news:
- The offer that defensive tackle Dontari Poe accepted from the Falcons on Thursday was worth less than the Jaguars’ proposal, reports ESPN’s Josina Anderson (Twitter link). Before taking a one-year, $8MM deal (plus incentives) with the reigning NFC champions, Poe turned down the Jags’ fully guaranteed $9MM (and incentives). Head coach Dan Quinn was key in talking Poe into joining the Falcons, relays Anderson.
- It doesn’t appear that linebacker Zach Brown‘s powwow with the Raiders will lead to a deal, as a source told ESPN’s Adam Caplan that it “looks like a no-go right now” (Twitter link). Although Brown had a stellar 2016 with Buffalo and currently ranks as PFR’s top available linebacker, the market for his services has been tepid.
- Wide receiver Andre Holmes met with the Bills on Thursday, one day after there were reports that he had signed with them, per Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (via Twitter). It turns out the Bills offered Holmes a three-year, $4.5MM accord, which the NFLPA accidentally documented as a done deal.
- Linebacker Dekoda Watson visited the Seahawks on Thursday, tweets ESPN’s Field Yates. The 29-year-old Watson is a journeyman who has played for five teams, including the Broncos last season. He served as an integral special teams cog in Denver, which would like to re-sign him.
Falcons To Sign Dontari Poe
One of the best free agents left on the board is now spoken for. The Falcons have signed defensive tackle Dontari Poe, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). It’s a one-year, $8MM deal but he can make up to $10MM through incentives. 
Scott Pioli, the Falcons’ assistant GM, drafted Poe in Kansas City. Now, they’ll be reunited in Atlanta where Poe projects to start next to Grady Jarrett in the Falcons’ 4-3 set. Adrian Clayborn and Brooks Reed are the starters on the bookends.
Poe was making the free agent rounds this week and also had interest from the Dolphins, Jaguars, Colts, and other clubs. Reportedly, some teams were wary of signing Poe to a multi-year pact because of his ongoing back problems. Today’s agreement gives Poe a decent one-year deal but he’ll have to prove himself all over again if he wants to cash in next year. Initially, it seemed like Poe was in play for this type of average annual value on a five-year deal.
Apparently, Poe preferred a one-year deal over taking a long-term contract that would have given him a weaker AAV. The Colts were willing to give him multiple years, but that offer was apparently not to his liking. The Chiefs exited the bidding when they signed former Eagles defensive tackle Bennie Logan to a free agent deal.
Falcons To Sign WR Andre Roberts
The Falcons signed wide receiver Andre Roberts, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). He gets a one-year deal worth $1.8MM with $750K guaranteed. 
Roberts had a disappointing first season in Detroit, but the Lions were still among the teams in the mix to sign him this month. The Patriots also were said to have interest.
The 29-year-old’s best season came back in 2012 with the Cardinals, when he finished with 64 receptions for 759 yards and five touchdowns. Unfortunately for him, the emergence of Michael Floyd bumped him down the pecking order in Arizona, leading him to join up with the Redskins in 2013. His two years in D.C. and one year in Detroit have not yielded 2012-type numbers. In 2016, Roberts finished out with 14 receptions for 188 yards and one touchdown.
Roberts now figures to be the Falcons’ No. 3 WR behind Julio Jones and Mohamed Sanu. Justin Hardy, Devin Fuller, and Nick Williams are also under contract. Receivers Taylor Gabriel and Eric Weems remain in free agent limbo while Aldrick Robinson has followed coach Kyle Shanahan to San Francisco.
Falcons To Re-Sign Kemal Ishmael
The Falcons reached an agreement to retain safety Kemal Ishmael on a one-year deal, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (on Twitter). A part-time starter during his first four seasons in Atlanta, Ishmael agreed to a $2.5MM contract.
Atlanta wanted to retain its former seventh-round find prior to free agency and will do so four days into the process. Ishmael started four games for the NFC champions last season and has opened with the Falcons’ first unit in 19 games during his tenure in Georgia.
Ishmael arrived in 2013’s final draft round out of Central Florida and won’t turn 25 until May. He played 310 snaps for the 2016 Falcons and figures to slot in as a depth piece behind Ricardo Allen and Keanu Neal in 2017. Ishmael’s most notable season came in 2014, when he started 10 games for Atlanta and made 96 tackles. He notched four of his five career interceptions that season.
The NFC’s No. 2-seeded team did not have Ishmael for its three playoff games, however, after a shoulder injury sent the 24-year-old defender to IR.
Falcons To Meet With Dontari Poe
The Falcons are set to meet with Dontari Poe in the next 24 hours, according to Falcons PR staff member Kelsey Conway (on Twitter). The Falcons have been said to have interest in the free agent defensive tackle. Now, it seems, things are getting a little more serious.
Poe visited the Colts on Sunday and although he did not leave with a deal, the meeting reportedly went well. Today, Poe is huddling up with the Jaguars. The 26-year-old has also garnered interest from the Dolphins, Raiders, and 49ers. The Colts were are open to a long-term deal for Po, but he might prefer a one-year pact that would allow him to rebuild his value before trying the market again next year. Clubs reportedly are concerned about Poe’s lingering back issues. If he can have a strong 2017 and stay healthy, he could be among next year’s top free agent earners.
The Falcons are looking to revamp the defensive line this offseason. Poe, who ranked as PFR’s No. 4 free agent interior defender heading into March 9, would slot in at defensive tackle next to Grady Jarrett and Ra’Shede Hageman. Hageman and Jarrett improved in 2016, but Atlanta’s front four still ranked in the bottom half of the league last year in adjusted line yards allowed and adjusted sack rate.
Falcons’ Devonta Freeman Won’t Request Trade
Despite talk of him being unhappy with his current contract, Falcons running back Devonta Freeman says he has no plans to seek a trade out of Atlanta, ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure writes. 
“This is coming out of my mouth: I definitely know I’m going to be playing for the Atlanta Falcons,” Freeman said. “This is the team I want to play for. I’m almost 100 percent for sure business will be taken care of because we’re all in this thing to win and have success.”
During Super Bowl week, Freeman’s agent Kristin Campbell made waves by saying she wanted Freeman to be paid like an “elite” running back. The timing was not ideal, but GM Thomas Dimitroff said it wasn’t really a distraction for the team. Then, days ago, Kristin’s husband Luther Campbell (better known as Uncle Luke of 2 Live Crew fame) fired off a tweet that seemed to indicate a trade request could be coming down the pike. Now, Freeman has put such talk to rest.
Freeman is coming off his second consecutive regular season with 1,000+ rushing yards, 13+ all-purpose touchdowns, and upwards of 50 receptions. He racked up those numbers despite splitting carries with 2015 third-round pick Tevin Coleman.
Freeman’s contract is set to expire after the 2017 season. Barring an extension, he’ll carry a modest ~$1.92MM cap number before being eligible for free agency.
Colts Want Long-Term Deal With Dontari Poe
The Colts are meeting with defensive tackle Dontari Poe today, and while the club is willing to ink him to a long-term deal, Poe may be more open to a one-year pact, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Indy is “trying to get something done” in regards to a contract, Poe tells Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Poe will visit with the Falcons, Dolphins, and Raiders next, per Poe.
Given the reported level of interest in Poe — in addition the clubs listed above, the Jaguars and 49ers are eyeing the 26-year-old — he should be able to garner a multi-year contract, but if the structure and guarantees of the proposals he’s receiving are not to his liking, Poe could instead accept a one-year deal, as Jason Cole of Bleacher Report indicated earlier this week. Given league-wide lingering concerns about Poe’s back (an issue Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweeted about Thursday), Poe may want the opportunity to show he’s healthy before hitting the market again in 2018.
Poe served as a lane clogger in Kansas City but was a dynamo in terms of snaps played, logging more than any nose man during his rookie-deal tenure in Kansas City. But his sack totals decreased, plummeting from 10.5 between the 2013 and ’14 seasons (both Pro Bowl slates) to 2.5 combined in 2015 and ’16.
Brandon Williams set the market for true defensive tackles earlier this week, signing a hefty five-year, $52.5MM deal with the Ravens. Veteran Calais Campbell also scored on the open market, landing a $15MM annual salary on his four-year deal with Jacksonville.