- Saints wide receiver Tommylee Lewis says that he also drew interest the Falcons after the draft, as Kristian Garic of WWL tweets. Lewis, who posted 398 yards receiving during his senior season at Northen Illinois, might have had a better chance to earn a roster spot in Atlanta, as New Orleans is well-stocked at receiver position. As Roster Resource indicates, the Saints boast Brandin Cooks, Willie Snead, Michael Thomas, and Brandon Coleman at wideout, and released another option — veteran Hakeem Nicks — earlier today.
Just days after signing with the Falcons, wide receiver Lance Moore has announced his retirement from the NFL, according to a press release from the team. 
Moore, who entered the league as a UDFA in 2005, played for three different teams during his ten year career, spending eight seasons with the Saints. During his time with the Saints, he recorded 346 receptions for 4,281 yards and 38 touchdowns. Moore tallied 389 career receptions for 4,816 yards and 44 touchdowns in his career.
Moore, who turns 33 later this month, auditioned for the Chargers recently before the team ultimately chose to sign James Jones instead. On Friday, the veteran reached agreement on a deal with the Falcons. Apparently, Moore had a change of heart over the weekend and opted to hang ’em up instead.
Moore was a favored target of Drew Brees‘ for years before he was released by the team in March 2014. In 2013, Moore’s receptions (37), receiving yards (457), and receiving touchdowns (two) were his worst totals since an injury-plagued 2009. Unfortunately, things didn’t pick up when he joined the Steelers. In 2014, he caught just 14 balls with Pittsburgh, matching his lowest total since his rookie year. Following that disappointing season, he asked for his release and then hooked on with the Lions. His performance was roughly the same there as he caught 29 passes for 337 yards and four touchdowns.
We here at PFR wish Moore all the best in retirement.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
SATURDAY, 2:42pm: Freeney’s Falcons base salary will be worth $1MM, Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports 910 reports (on Twitter). His base was $970K last season with the Cardinals.
TUESDAY, 9:00pm: Freeney will earn $2MM “up front” and can score another $2MM via sack incentives, tweets Ed Werder of ESPN.com. Admittedly, that report is a little unclear, as it’s highly unlikely that Freeney has secured $2MM guaranteed.
TUESDAY, 3:21pm: The Falcons have agreed to sign Dwight Freeney, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The veteran defensive end chose the Falcons over the Bengals, Rapoport adds. 
Freeney, 36, worked out for the Falcons earlier this summer but the team decided to put him on the back burner as they evaluated other players already in-house. After tallying eight sacks in an abbreviated 2015 season, Freeney makes a lot of sense for Quinn & Co. and the team recently made him an offer to jump into their defensive end group. The Falcons are slated to start Vic Beasley and Derrick Shelby at defensive end with support from Adrian Clayborn, Tyson Jackson, and now Freeney.
Recently, former NFL head coach and current analyst Mike Nolan pushed the Falcons to sign Freeney to amp up their quarterback pressure. Last season, the Falcons finished with a league-worst 19 sacks. Now, Freeney is coming to Atlanta with an eye on adding to his 119.5 career sack tally.
The Falcons were also considering a reunion with O’Brien Schofield, but they might not need him after adding Freeney. Recently, PFR’s Dallas Robinson ran down the top ten teams most likely to sign Freeney and put the Falcons at the top of the list.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
- The Falcons have signed linebacker Dominique Tovell and released wideout Chris King, tweets D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The Falcons have announced the signing of veteran Lance Moore, who was one of the more notable wide receivers remaining on the open market. 
[RELATED: Check Out The Falcons’ Depth Chart On Roster Resource]
Moore, who turns 33 later this month, auditioned for the Chargers recently before the team ultimately went with James Jones to fill the gap while Stevie Johnson is sidelined. Now, he’ll try his luck in Atlanta.
The Falcons are familiar with Moore, who had been one of the longest-tenured Saints, acting as a target for Drew Brees‘ for years before he was released by the team in March 2014. In 2013, Moore’s receptions (37), receiving yards (457), and receiving touchdowns (two) were his worst totals since an injury-plagued 2009. Unfortunately, things didn’t pick up when he joined the Steelers. In 2014, he caught just 14 balls with Pittsburgh, matching his lowest total since his rookie year. Following that disappointing season, he asked for his release and then hooked on with the Lions. Things didn’t get much better as he caught 29 passes for 337 yards and four touchdowns.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk first reported the signing. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
- The Falcons released rookie linebacker Torrey Green, as D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. Green, an undrafted free agent linebacker from Utah State, is under investigation after two women accused him of rape.
The 2015 Falcons started off hot under new head coach Dan Quinn, posting a 5-0 record and looking like a playoff contender as late as November. But a six-game losing streak exposed the club on both offense and defense, forcing Atlanta to make changes on both sides of the ball this offseason.
Notable signings:
- Alex Mack, C: Five years, $45MM. $20MM guaranteed.
- Mohamed Sanu, WR: Five years, $32.5MM. $14MM guaranteed. $1.5MM available via escalators.
- Derrick Shelby, DE: Four years, $18MM. $6MM guaranteed.
- Adrian Clayborn, DE: Two years, $8.5MM. $2.5MM guaranteed. $5.5MM available via incentives.
- Matt Schaub, QB: One year, $1.75MM. $500K guaranteed. $1MM available via incentives.
- Courtney Upshaw, LB: One year, $1.25MM. $390K guaranteed. $250K available via incentives.
- Chris Chester, G: One year, $2.35MM. $250K guaranteed.
- Sean Weatherspoon, LB: One year, $1.5MM. $150K guaranteed.
- Philip Wheeler, LB: One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K guaranteed.
- Bryce Harris, T: One year, minimum salary benefit. $60K guaranteed.
- Tom Compton, T: One year, minimum salary benefit. $25K guaranteed.
- Ryan Schraeder, T: One year, $2.553MM. Signed second-round RFA tender.
- Paul Worrilow, LB: One year, $2.553MM. Signed second-round RFA tender.
- LaRoy Reynolds, LB: One year, $675K.
- Dwight Freeney, DE: Contract terms unknown.
Atlanta’s offensive line responded exceptionally well to offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan‘s implementation of a zone-blocking scheme, with nearly every player up front earning positive grades from Pro Football Focus. The one exception was center Michael Person, who started 14 games at the pivot after having spent most of his career at guard, so the Falcons turned to a veteran who had some prior experience in Shanahan’s system — former Browns center Alex Mack.
Mack, 30, only played in five games during Shanahan’s year as Cleveland’s play-caller, but he spent the entire summer of 2014 preparing to enter a zone-blocking scheme, and his athleticism and ability to move in the running game makes him a perfect fit for the zone approach. The Falcons made Mack the highest-paid center in the league, handing him $9MM per year after the Browns, Chargers, and Rams all expressed varying levels of interest once Mack opted out of his deal with Cleveland.
After being designated as the Browns’ transition player during the 2014 offseason, Mack played the free agent game correctly, inking an offer sheet with the Jaguars that paid him $8.5MM annually, $18MM guaranteed over the first two years of the deal, and contained that aforementioned opt-out clause. Cleveland matched that offer, and when Mack withdrew two years later, he was able to land a contract that will pay him even more per year and includes another $20MM in guarantees. Like Darrelle Revis, Mack has worked the free agent system to his benefit in order to secure every dollar he’s worth.
Chris Chester, meanwhile, will return to Atlanta after playing every offensive snap for the club last year, but he’ll be expected to compete for his starting job, with Person, rookie Wes Schweizter, and free agent addition Tom Compton serving as Chester’s main obstacles to playing time at right guard. Chester is now 33 years old and coming off January shoulder surgery, but he played so well in 2015 that he should be the favorite to handle the majority of snaps. Right tackle Ryan Schraeder, a revelation last year (PFF’s No. 5 tackle), will also return after signing his second-round restricted free agent tender, and the Falcons could look to sign him to an extension over the next few months.
While Atlanta’s pass-blocking was tremendous, the Falcons’ passing offense as a whole was not, as the club ranked 23rd in passing DVOA, with Julio Jones and his 136/1,871/8 receiving line essentially acting as a one-man passing offense. Tight end Jacob Tamme posted a nice season, racking up 59 passes for nearly 700 yards, but the rest of Atlanta’s pass-catchers — including Roddy White, Leonard Hankerson, and Justin Hardy — left a lot to be desired. But instead of finding an affordable complement to play opposite Jones, the Falcons overspent in a weak free agent market, signing former Bengals wideout Mohamed Sanu to a five-year deal.
Even among an uninspiring crop of free agent pass-catchers, Sanu only placed seventh among his position in PFR’s free agent rankings, but the 26-year-old will be earning more annually than every other free agent receiver except former Bengals teammate Marvin Jones. Travis Benjamin, Rishard Matthews, Rueben Randle, Anquan Boldin, and Jermaine Kearse will earn $6MM or less on their new contracts, and the Eagles and Lions were able to land Randle and Boldin, respectively, on one-year pacts.
Sanu, who failed top 400 yards receiving last year, somehow managed to score a better deal than Golden Tate received from the Lions during the 2014 offseason. Cincinnati didn’t trust Sanu enough to allow him to play a larger role in their offense, and he struggled when asked to step up amid a rash of injuries during the 2014 campaign. Clearly, the Falcons needed to add another complementary weapon to their offense, but Sanu is unlikely to live up to his contract.
Atlanta’s only other notable addition on offense was at quarterback, and like Mack, Matt Schaub has a history with Shanahan, having spent time with the play-caller in Houston. Schaub, of course, also has a past with the Falcons (he was a former third-round pick of the club), and though his career has fallen apart in the past few seasons, he probably won’t be asked to play much in Atlanta. Starter Matt Ryan hasn’t missed a game since 2009, having started 99 straight contests since his last missed game.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Falcons surprisingly didn’t target any high-profile pass-rushers after failing to get after opposing quarterbacks with any level of consistency in 2016. Not only did the club rank dead last in sacks with only 19 (the lowest total for any team in the league since 2009), but it also finished 32nd in adjusted sack rate. Atlanta decided to play in the middle of the market, however, inking former Dolphins defensive end Derrick Shelby and re-signing their own Adrian Clayborn.
Shelby, 27, is an interesting case of scouting the stat line versus watching the tape. While he’s only posted nine sacks in his career, Shelby graded out as the league’s No. 23 edge defender last season, according to PFF. It’s fair to wonder if Shelby’s increased production was partly a result of playing next to All Pro defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, and it could be concerning that Miami didn’t seriously attempt to retain Shelby, instead opting for external options such as Mario Williams, Andre Branch, and Jason Jones.
While Shelby landed a four-year contract, the Falcons were able to bring back Clayborn on a shorter pact, locking up the edge defender for two more seasons. Clayborn isn’t much of a run defender, so after seeing some time at tackle in 2015, he figures to play exclusively at end during the upcoming season, and given the makeup of Atlanta’s front seven, it’s possible Clayborn is used primarily in sub packages.
Earlier today, the Falcons finally consummated a long-rumored deal with free agent pass rusher Dwight Freeney, inking the veteran after he also drew interest from the Bengals. Now 36 years old, Freeney was still productive last season, managing eight sacks for the Cardinals in only 255 defensive snaps. And though he didn’t get to the quarterback as much in the year prior, Freeney was still solid for the Chargers in 2014, forcing 40 quarterback hurries and posting nine QB hits. He’ll play as rotational end for Atlanta, and shouldn’t be asked to play more than 30 snaps per game.
Clayborn and Freeney will see competition for snaps from free agent addition Courtney Upshaw, the former Ravens second-round pick that only netted a one-year deal from the Falcons. The 26-year-old Upshaw never became the edge rushing force in Baltimore that many had projected, but he’s very solid against the run, and could conceivably be used in a variety of roles in Dan Quinn‘s defense. Upshaw will likely see snaps at both defensive end and linebacker in Atlanta, with his duty being heavily influenced by the situation.
While Upshaw could shift between multiple positions, Sean Weatherspoon and Philip Wheeler are linebackers in the most strict sense, and both could see a hefty amount of snaps next seeason. Weatherspoon returns to the Falcons after a one-year stint with the Cardinals, and given his history of injuries, Atlanta will probably try to specify his role in the defense. Given his movement and coverage skills, Weatherspoon will likely be on the field in the Falcons’ nickel defense. Wheeler, meanwhile, will have to compete with fourth-round rookie De’Vondre Campbell for playing time at outside ‘backer.
Read more about the Falcons’ offseason…
- The Falcons’ offseason signing of center Alex Mack is their biggest pickup since the drafting of receiver Julio Jones in 2011, contends Jeff Schultz of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Mack could singlehandedly turn the Falcons’ offensive line from a weakness to a strength, writes Schultz, who notes that Atlanta has struggled since it jettisoned now-retired center Todd McClure after the 2012 season. In regards to joining the Matt Ryan-led Falcons, Mack told Schultz, “It was enticing to come here knowing they had a quarterback.” The 30-year-old spent the first seven seasons of his career with the bottom-feeding Browns, whose quarterback play was consistently woeful. Mack held his own, though, making three Pro Bowl trips before securing a five-year, $47.5MM contract with the Falcons in free agency.
- The Falcons have signed receiver Chris King, per D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link). King went undrafted out of Duquesne this year and then spent some time with Arizona.
- The Falcons, who have three roster spots available, worked out some receivers Thursday and could sign one, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (on Twitter). McClure didn’t specify which wideouts tried out with the Falcons, though the free agent list isn’t exactly rife with appealing options at this point. Notably, the Falcons auditioned ex-Chargers practice squad member Donatella Luckett last month. The top of Atlanta’s receiver depth chart is all set with Julio Jones, Mohamed Sanu and Justin Hardy in place, but there are questions about the unit otherwise.
- One reason the Falcons are looking for depth at receiver is because they released Devin Hester on Tuesday. General manager Thomas Dimitroff spoke about cutting the all-time great return man Thursday, saying, “He passed his (pre-camp) physical. It was a football decision for us in the end” (via Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta-Journal Constitution). Hester, 33, underwent toe surgery in January and missed all but five games last season because of the issue. He also failed to register a reception after pulling in 38 in 2014.