Falcons Promote WR Nick Williams
The Falcons have promoted wide receiver Nick Williams from the practice squad to the active roster and waived cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson, the club announced today. Atlanta has already ruled out pass-catcher Mohamed Sanu for Sunday’s game against the Rams, and the team announced today that All Pro wide receiver Julio Jones is questionable for Week 14 and is a game-time decision after not practicing all week.
[RELATED: Falcons Extend CB Robert Alford]
“Sunday, we’ll go out and let [Jones] run some full speed routes, go through the process,” said head coach Dan Quinn. “It’s not the catching, we just want to see the full speed routes. That’s what the plan is – his intent is right to go and play. We are anticipating that, but we’ll see where it goes on Sunday morning.”
Jones, of course, is the key piece of a Falcons offense that has ridden its No. 1 DVOA offense to a 7-5 record. Once leading the NFC South by a wide margin, Atlanta is now tied with Tampa Bay for first place in the division, so every game counts as the club closes out the campaign. According to Brian Burke of ESPN.com‘s Playoff Leverage, a win on Sunday would give the Falcons approximately a 90% chance of making the playoffs, while a loss would drop those odds to less than 75%.
If both Sanu and Jones are sidelined on Sunday, Atlanta would use a receiving corps made up of Taylor Gabriel, Aldrick Robinson, Justin Hardy, Eric Weems, and Williams, along with tight ends Austin Hooper and Levine Toilolo.
Falcons, Robert Alford Agree To Extension
The Falcons have signed cornerback Robert Alford to a four-year, $38MM extension, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The deal includes $21MM guaranteed. The team has since confirmed the deal via press release. 
Alford, a second-round pick in 2013, was slated to hit the open market after the season. Atlanta, unwilling to lose a player who has started in every game he’s appeared in over the last three years, shelled out significant money to keep him locked up instead. This year, he has 47 total tackles with two interceptions, bringing his career total to nine picks. He also has 12 passes defensed on the season, which leads the team.
It should be noted that Alford tends to rack up penalties, and that might have something to do with his ranking as just the 71st best corner in the NFL this season out of 122 qualified players, according to Pro Football Focus. In fact, three other Falcons cornerbacks are ranked higher for their work this year: Jalen Collins (No. 17), Desmond Trufant (No. 30), and Brian Poole (No. 42). So far this year, Alford has committed five pass interference penalties, one holding penalty, one illegal use of hands penalty, and an unnecessary roughness call. His five PI flags rank second to only D.J. Hayden of the Raiders who has six.
The size of this deal is a sign that the Falcons probably value Alford a little more than others outside of the organization do. But, it’s also an indication that this year’s free agent market will be inflated with lots of teams taking advantage of the increased cap.
Falcons Sign DL Malliciah Goodman
After putting him through a workout earlier today, the Falcons have signed free agent defensive lineman Malliciah Goodman, the club announced. Atlanta also announced that is has promoted offensive lineman Kevin Graf from the practice squad, and waived defensive lineman Cliff Matthews and offensive lineman Trevor Robinson.
[RELATED: Atlanta Falcons Depth Chart]
The Falcons were reportedly on the hunt for a defensive end after Adrian Clayborn suffered an MCL injury that could shelve him for the rest of the regular season. In Goodman, they’ve reunited with a player that spent time in Atlanta from 2013-15 after being selected as a fourth-round draft choice. Goodman, 26, has spent most of this season on the audition circuit, but he did play in one game for Seattle last month. Now he’ll settle in behind Tyson Jackson, Brooks Reed, and Courtney Upshaw at defensive end for the Falcons.
Like Goodman, Matthews had posted two separate stints with Atlanta, re-signing with the club this October after a brief tenure with the Buccaneers. He’s appeared in 35 games during his four-year career, mostly serving as a special teams player during that time. Robinson, meanwhile, is a former 13-game starter at center for the Chargers, and had just landed a contract with the Falcons a week ago.
Falcons Looking To Add DE
The Falcons are down a defensive end and they’re exploring their options. Today, the Falcons are auditioning old friend Malliciah Goodman. 
Recently, Adrian Clayborn suffered a torn MCL which will likely sideline him for the rest of the regular season and possibly longer. The 7-5 Falcons are currently using Brooks Reed at right defensive end opposite of Tyson Jackson. Behind them are Courtney Upshaw and Cliff Matthews.
If the Falcons add Goodman to the mix, they’ll have a third reserve bookend and someone who has some familiarity with the team. The Falcons selected Goodman in the fourth round of the 2013 draft. He has 34 career appearances with the Falcons spanning from 2013-2015.
In other Falcons news, the NFLPA released the figures on team spending over the last four years and found that the Falcons rank No. 13 in the NFL with roughly $550.6MM spent since 2013. Atlanta also lost top corner Desmond Trufant.
NFL Spending By Team Over Last Four Seasons
The NFLPA has released the official data on team spending over the last four seasons. The Collective Bargaining Agreement stipulates that each team must utilize 89% of the salary cap over two four-year periods, 2013-16 and 2017-20. As previously reported, the Raiders are the only team that has yet to satisfy that requirement for the closing period. The CBA also requires the league, as a whole, to spend 95% of the cap, in cash, for the same period. That requirement has been easily met.
Here is the full rundown of every team’s spending in declining order:
Philadelphia Eagles – $613,928,134
Denver Broncos – $587,712,791
Seattle Seahawks – $584,305,975
Green Bay Packers – $583,138,740
Miami Dolphins – $577,975,260
Kansas City Chiefs – $575,541,332
Buffalo Bills – $573,647,850
Chicago Bears – $568,301,610
Cincinnati Bengals – $567,289,411
Baltimore Ravens – $562,425,698
San Diego Chargers – $562,232,116
Indianapolis Colts – $556,335,689
Atlanta Falcons – $550,614,572
New York Giants – $543,787,033
Arizona Cardinals – $543,327,538
Los Angeles Rams – $541,957,711
New Orleans Saints – $539,836,498
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – $539,736,102
Minnesota Vikings – $539,162,454
New York Jets – $533,151,519
Washington Redskins – $532,545,662
Pittsburgh Steelers – $530,698,171
Detroit Lions – $530,210,549
Tennessee Titans – $524,505,256
Dallas Cowboys – $523,033,036
Houston Texans – $517,212,166
Jacksonville Jaguars – $516,908,734
Cleveland Browns – $516,158,864
San Francisco 49ers – $514,488,198
New England Patriots – $500,083,836
Carolina Panthers – $495,149,346
Oakland Raiders – $491,433,408
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/29/16
Today’s practice squad moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: OL Kevin Graf
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: WR Chris Hubert
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: CB Asa Jackson
- Cut: LB James Burgess
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: T Jake Rodgers, T Tyrus Thompson
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: CB Tony McRae
New England Patriots
- Signed: TE Kennard Backman, RB D.J. Foster
New York Jets
- Cut: OL Zach Sterup
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: LB Wynton McManis
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: WR Kevin Smith
- Cut: RB Zac Brooks, RB Malcolm Johnson
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: CB D’Joun Smith
Desmond Trufant Done For Season
Falcons cornerback Desmond Trufant will require surgery for a torn pectoral and will miss the rest of the season, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. On Tuesday, Atlanta made it all official, announcing that Trufant is headed to IR. In related moves, the Falcons have signed center Trevor Robinson and cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson to the active roster. Punter Matt Wile has been waived.
Trufant sustained the injury during Atlanta’s Week 9 matchup against the Buccaneers and consequently missed the team’s Week 10 contest against the Eagles. The Falcons then had their bye in Week 11, and Trufant practiced on a limited basis this week in the hopes of suiting up against the Cardinals today.
Needless to say, this is a major blow for the Falcons, as Trufant is the club’s best cover corner. He ranks as the 32nd-best corner in the NFL out of 119 qualified players, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required), which is a big deal for a team that ranks among the bottom third of the league in pass defense (per Football Outsiders’ DVOA metric). He also notched an interception and two sacks this season.
The 6-4 Falcons sit atop the NFC South, just one game ahead of Tampa Bay. Luckily for Atlanta, the remainder of the team’s schedule is not littered with opponents that boast high-flying passing offenses, with the Week 17 matchup against the Saints looking like the only exception.
Trufant, the Falcons’ first-round draft pick in 2013, is scheduled to make $8MM in his fifth-year option season next year. Players like Brian Poole and C.J. Goodwin will need to step up in his absence.
Falcons’ Adrian Clayborn Tears MCL
The Falcons are expected to be without defensive end Adrian Clayborn for upwards of a month, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. A torn MCL and partially torn meniscus will shelve the edge starter, per Schefter, with surgery being a likely course of action.
Clayborn has started five games for the Falcons this season, his second with the team. He re-signed with Atlanta this offseason on a two-year deal worth approximately $9MM.
The sixth-year veteran has been fairly productive this season, recording 4.5 sacks — an improvement from the three he registered in Atlanta in 2015 — and rating as Pro Football Focus’ No. 45 edge defender. Those 4.5 sacks are second only to Vic Beasley‘s 9.5 on the NFC South-leading Falcons. Clayborn also notched his first NFL touchdown this season, returning an interception five yards for a score against the Chargers last month.
Without Clayborn for possibly the remainder of the regular season, the Falcons have some experienced options to plug in as a starter. Tyson Jackson, Courtney Upshaw and Dwight Freeney each reside as depth pieces, although Jackson profiles more as an interior defender. Freeney (three sacks) has played 274 snaps to Clayborn’s 484 but was a starter as recently as two years ago.
Falcons Release RB Stevan Ridley
The Falcons have released running back Stevan Ridley, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). 
The Lions signed Ridley this offseason with the idea that he would fulfill their “big back” role. He slid down the depth chart over the summer, however, and was released in late August. After a cup of coffee with the Colts in the preseason, he was on the couch until the Falcons came calling in October. Less than one month later, he’s once again looking for work.
In 2012, Ridley looked like a star in the making for the Patriots. Unfortunately, he fell out of favor due to fumbling issues and a major knee injury kept him out of action. Given all that he has been through, it’s not clear if the 27-year-old will ever be able to regain his old form.
With Ridley gone, the Falcons are slated to move forward with Devonta Freeman, Tevin Coleman, and Terron Ward at running back. No additional move has been announced yet, but running back Jhurell Pressley could be promoted from the p-squad to fill the spot.
Falcons Sign Punter Matt Wile
- The Falcons announced the signing of punter Matt Wile to the 53-man roster. The deal could be a sign that Matt Bosher‘s hamstring will cause him to miss games. Before coming to Atlanta, Wile had contracts with Carolina and Dallas. He was a kicker at Michigan and a hopeful NFL kicker, but he’ll be punting for the Falcons.