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Falcons Place Return Specialist Jakeem Grant On IR

August 15th, 2024 at 6:31pm CST by Ben Levine

After signing with the Falcons on Saturday, Jakeem Grant‘s season has already come to an end. The team announced that the return specialist was placed on injured reserve today.

[RELATED: Falcons Sign Return Specialist Jakeem Grant]

Grant made it through only one full practice before going down. Per D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the special teamer suffered a hamstring injury on Wednesday that forced him off the practice field.

Unfortunately, this isn’t a shocking development for Grant, who has suffered through a list of injuries in recent years. After signing with the Browns ahead of the 2022 campaign, Grant suffered a torn Achilles tendon that ended his season before it began. The veteran suffered another season-ending injury during the 2023 preseason, this time thanks to a ruptured patellar tendon.

Prior to his run of injuries, the former sixth-round pick was one of the most dynamic returners in the NFL. Grant collected six return touchdowns through his six healthy seasons, including a pair of kickoffs of more than 100 yards. Grant also showed some flashes on offense, including a 2020 campaign with the Dolphins where he hauled in 36 catches for 373 yards.

Considering his special teams prowess, teams were willing to look past his recent injury woes. Grant was a popular name on the workout circuit this offseason, getting looks from the Eagles, Saints, and Jets. Grant could potentially play again this season if he’s able to work out his release with the Falcons.

In Atlanta, Grant was likely going to be competing with the likes of Ray-Ray McCloud and Avery Williams for return snaps. He also could have seen a role on offense, especially following Rondale Moore‘s season-ending injury.

Falcons Restructure Chris Lindstrom’s Deal

August 15th, 2024 at 2:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

In March 2023, the Falcons made Chris Lindstrom the NFL’s highest-paid guard. The Pro Bowler remains second on that list, but multiple developments requiring additional funds have prompted Atlanta to adjust its top O-lineman’s deal.

The Falcons moved part of Lindstrom’s $12.5MM salary into a signing bonus, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler. More specifically, Atlanta created just less than $9MM via this restructure, according to Fox Sports’ Greg Auman, who indicates the team dropped Lindstrom’s base number to $1.3MM.

This is a common tactic that occurs dozens of times per year around the NFL, and the Falcons may not be done rearranging funds. They are bringing in Matt Judon‘s $6.5MM base salary and met with Justin Simmons last week. Atlanta came into Thursday with just more than $7MM in cap space, which sat 30th in the NFL. Jessie Bates‘ deal, Auman adds, could also be restructured to create 2024 cap space.

No extension is imminent with Judon, who is not planning to take Haason Reddick‘s path and stay away from his new team absent a deal. It would not surprise if Judon was a limited practice participant, however, as it is not yet known if the veteran edge rusher (32 today) received assurances his contract would be adjusted. As the Patriots went through an uncharacteristic spree of pricey extensions and re-signings, Judon’s deal went untouched. This naturally prompted frustration on the player’s part, and the Pats ended the saga — the New England part of it, at least — by collecting a third-round pick from the Falcons.

Simmons, 30, would not be expected to sign a lucrative deal. The four-time All-Pro remaining in free agency for this long effectively confirms he was unhappy with his market. Several safeties became cap casualties this offseason, with Simmons the most accomplished of the group. The rest of that lot found deals, however. It should be expected Simmons signs somewhere soon, and it probably will take more than the veteran minimum. He also visited the Saints, who are keeping tabs on the eight-year Bronco.

As for Lindstrom, he remains tied to the five-year, $102.5MM extension he signed last March. The contract runs through 2028. The two-time All-Pro will now see some money early, via this base-to-bonus conversion — one that certainly could precede other notable Falcons transactions.

Patriots, Falcons Complete Matt Judon Trade

August 14th, 2024 at 10:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

After their Michael Penix Jr. selection, the Falcons tried to trade back into the first round — for the purpose of acquiring a pass rusher. Atlanta is circling back here, doing so via trade. The NFC South team is set to resolve the Patriots’ Matt Judon issue.

The Falcons finalized an agreement to acquire Judon from the Pats, according to NFL reporter Jordan Schultz. As New England has gone through with several pricey deals for veterans this offseason, Judon remains in a contract year and has expressed frustration. He would stand to fill a key need for a Falcons team short on edge rushers.

Atlanta is sending New England a third-round pick for the ninth-year edge presence, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. This will bring an end to an offseason saga that had Judon at odds with the team’s new-look front office. The former Ravens draftee, who produced double-digit sack seasons in his first two Patriots years, is going into his age-32 season.

Both the Falcons’ top sack artists from last season — Bud Dupree, Calais Campbell — signed elsewhere this offseason, and the Falcons were unable to swing a deal that would have landed them one of this draft’s premier edge players. This has been an Atlanta issue for a long time now, as Thomas Dimitroff-era first-round investments Vic Beasley and Takk McKinley did not pan out. In Judon, the Falcons land a proven sack artist — albeit one coming off an injury-shortened season.

It will be interesting to see if the Falcons have a deal ready for Judon, as this otherwise could remind of the situation transpiring in New York. The Jets traded a conditional third-round pick to the Eagles for Haason Reddick but have been unable to bring him in, with a lengthy holdout transpiring due to a contract impasse. One season remains on Judon’s contract, which he attempted to upgrade during his final months in New England. No new contract is in place yet, per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero.

We heard earlier this week teams were calling on Judon’s availability, and The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports several teams discussed the pass rusher with the Pats. After signing off on several extensions and re-signings of Bill Belichick-era acquisitions, new Pats front office boss Eliot Wolf will move on in exchange for a Day 2 pick. This deal makes sense from both sides, as a rebuilding team will move a disgruntled 30-something in a contract year to a club suddenly readier to win thanks to Kirk Cousins‘ arrival.

A recent report indicated the Patriots made multiple offers to Judon; the ninth-year edge disputed this account. Those alleged offers were not believed to be extensions, and Judon watched the Pats pay other defenders (Christian Barmore, Kyle Dugger, Davon Godchaux) while leaving his contract untouched. The Division II product recently noted that, coming off a significant biceps injury that limited him to four games last season, he was not expecting to draw a top-market number. But he added that he is worth more than his current $6.5MM base salary.

This comes a year after the then-Belichick-led Patriots adjusted Judon’s contract, moving money from 2024 to 2023 and increasing the player’s guarantees last year. Judon could not hit the incentives included in that package, going down early. But the Pats did reward their 2021 free agent signing after he notched 12.5- and 15.5-sack seasons in 2021 and ’22.

Judon signed a four-year, $54.5MM deal as a 2021 free agent, joining the Pats as the team deviated from its M.O. and signed a host of veterans on a pandemic-affected market. The five-year Raven was by far the best of those signings, and the Falcons will bet on him bouncing back from the biceps tear.

Before attempting to trade into the middle of Round 1 for defensive help (specifically edge player Laiatu Latu), the Falcons had tried to obtain Montez Sweat at the 2023 deadline. They offered a third-round pick, but the Bears beat that by sending the Commanders a second. Dupree and Campbell each finished the season with 6.5 sacks before respectively leaving for Los Angeles and Miami. While Atlanta still rosters former second-round pick Arnold Ebiketie (six 2023 sacks), Judon offers an anchor-level presence.

Turning 32 on Thursday, Judon has four Pro Bowls on his resume. The first two came in Baltimore. In 2019, Judon compiled 33 QB hits and ahead of the Ravens franchise-tagging him in 2020. He finished with 28 QB hits during his most recent full season (2022), driving the third-round compensation for a player unsigned for 2025.

Although the Falcons famously passed on hiring Belichick as HC, they will hope one of his former finds can provide a boost for a pass rush that desperately needs it. Judon will now pair with D-line stalwart Grady Jarrett, who recently received full clearance following an ACL tear, for Raheem Morris‘ defense.

Jerod Mayo‘s team, meanwhile, is suddenly shorthanded on the edge. The Pats did, however, draft Keion White in the 2023 second round and re-signed Josh Uche this offseason. With Judon being a rare veteran Wolf did not extend, the Pats will prepare to use that third-rounder to help future squads.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/14/24

August 14th, 2024 at 9:20pm CST by Ely Allen

Wednesday’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

  • Signed: C Cohl Cabral
  • Waived (with injury designation): DE Shaka Toney

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

Cabral joins the Cowboys after UFL stints in Birmingham and Michigan. He adds more depth to the team’s offensive line after the team lost Chuma Edoga in their first preseason game and saw Earl Bostick helped off the field today. Toney suffered a groin injury, leading to this injury waiver, but could return to the team should he clear waivers.

Powers-Johnson was on some concerning ground with how much time he had missed with a concussion, but the Raiders saw him return to practice today.

The 49ers are adding some significant depth on the defensive line in Williams, who has vast starting experience in the NFL. Cutting Turner could mean that the return of Dre Greenlaw may on a better timeline than expected.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/13/24

August 13th, 2024 at 7:42pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

  • Waived-injured: WR Bryan Thompson

Carolina Panthers

  • Released from IR (with injury settlements): OT J.D. DiRenzo, TE Curtis Hodges

Denver Broncos

  • Re-signed: LB Alec Mock

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

  • Signed: LB Chris Russell
  • Released from IR (with injury settlement): CB Don Callis

Los Angeles Chargers

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

  • Signed: CB Kaleb Ford-Dement
  • Waived: RB Zander Horvath
  • Released from IR (with injury settlement): WR Jermaine Jackson

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

  • Released from IR (with injury settlement): NT Matthew Gotel

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/12/24

August 12th, 2024 at 8:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Monday’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Activated from active/PUP: DT Devonnsha Maxwell

Cleveland Browns

  • Signed: LB Brandon Bouyer-Randle, S Chase Williams
  • Released: RB John Kelly
  • Waived: DE Marcus Haynes
  • Waived/injured: CB Vincent Gray

Denver Broncos

  • Claimed (from Giants): DB Kaleb Hayes
  • Waived: ILB Alec Mock

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

  • Signed: LB Anthony Hines, TE Neal Johnson
  • Waived: LB Jimmy Ciarlo, CB Myles Jones

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Claimed (from Ravens): OL Tykeem Doss
  • Waived/injured: DB Kalon Barnes

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Hernia surgery forced Tampa to the Ravens’ active/PUP list, but the fourth-round pick is ready to return. Needing a double hernia operation after minicamp (per The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec), Tampa is unlikely to be ready for practice until at least next week. By avoiding a move to the reserve/PUP list, Tampa is no longer at risk of missing Baltimore’s first four games.

A rookie UDFA, Murphy went down with an MCL injury, per NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe. The Dolphins signed Brown, a four-year Giants special-teamer and backup presence, in April. While the Dolphins continue to deal with linebacker injuries, they did bring Jaelan Phillips off the PUP list today.

Fromm spent most of the past two seasons with the Commanders, but the team — as it transitions to a new regime — cut the former Georgia passer in May. He joins a Lions team that still rosters Nate Sudfeld along with Jared Goff and Hendon Hooker.

Falcons To Host S Justin Simmons

August 12th, 2024 at 11:57am CST by Adam La Rose

Another NFC South team is interested in Justin Simmons. The free agent safety is set to visit the Falcons today and tomorrow, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

[RELATED: Falcons’ DeMarcco Hellams To Miss ‘Signficant’ Time]

Simmons remains on the open market, but the recent increase in interest could soon produce a deal. The Saints hosted him last week, and head coach Dennis Allen noted team and player had previously been in communication during the spring. New Orleans and Simmons seemed to achieve better clarity on the matter of a potential agreement in the wake of last week’s meeting, but today’s news means the team could have competition in finalizing a contract.

Atlanta made a major safety investment via free agency last offseason. Jessie Bates inked a four-year, $64MM deal, and he delivered on expectations during his first Falcons campaign. The former Bengal racked up six interceptions, 11 pass deflections and three forced fumbles; those totals earned him a Pro Bowl invitation and a second-team All-Pro nod.

While Bates thrived in 2023, the Falcons did not enjoy success in the takeaway department. The team only totaled eight interceptions, and adding another playmaker to partner with Bates would go a long way in spurring a step forward in production. Since entering the league in 2016, Simmons has posted 30 interceptions, the most in the NFL during that span. The two-time Pro Bowler has notched at least three picks in each of the past six campaigns.

Simmons has yet to play a postseason game in his eight-year career, and he has said the ability to join a contender in 2024 is a higher priority than securing the most lucrative deal available. Just like the Saints, the Falcons were unable to win an underwhelming NFC South last season and they missed the playoffs as a result. Atlanta now has a new coaching staff and quarterback Kirk Cousins in the fold, though, leading to expectations for a rebound from the Arthur Smith era.

With two weeks remaining in the preseason, Simmons still has some time to find a new home. The 30-year-old will be counted on to handle starting duties wherever he lands, and in the case of Atlanta that would mean partnering with another centerfield-type safety in Bates and relegating Richie Grant to second-team duties. It will certainly be interesting to see how this Falcons visit goes over the coming days. Atlanta currently sits at the bottom of the league in terms of cap space with $3.5MM available, so any Simmons investment would need to be a modest one.

Falcons S DeMarcco Hellams Suffers Ankle Injury

August 12th, 2024 at 8:52am CST by Adam La Rose

DeMarcco Hellams‘ efforts to secure a starting spot on defense in 2024 have come to a halt. The second-year safety is set to miss “significant time” due to an ankle injury, head coach Raheem Morris said (via team reporter Tori McElhaney).

Hellams was selected in the seventh round of last year’s draft after pick No. 224 was included in the Bryan Edwards trade. He logged a special teams role right away during his rookie campaign, but as the season progressed he also took on defensive responsibilities. The 24-year-old ultimately made four starts late in the year, surpassing former second-rounder Richie Grant on the depth chart.

In all, Hellams totaled 40 tackles and did not allow a touchdown in coverage last season. That level of play – coupled with his third phase role – had him in line to compete for a full-time defensive spot or at least a key rotational workload in 2024. Now, his attention will turn to recovery and minimizing the time he misses during the regular season.

Today’s news means Grant will regain his starting spot in time for Week 1. That was already the way things appeared to be headed, as noted by ESPN’s Marc Raimondi, based on training camp performances. The 26-year-old took on first-team duties in 2022, racking up 123 tackles and seven pass deflections. Grant once again filled the statsheet last season (103 stops, three sacks), but he surrendered six touchdowns and a 126.6 passer rating in coverage. Those struggles led to Hellams seeing additional snaps late in the campaign, but Grant will no longer have competition for the time being.

The latter is entering the final year of his rookie contract, so a strong showing would help his market value on a second Falcons deal or one sending him to a new team. Atlanta already has one major financial commitment on the books in the form of Jessie Bates, but for 2024 Grant and Hellams constitute cost-effective starting options. The team’s depth at the safety spot will be limited for a stretch at the start of the year, though.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/11/24

August 11th, 2024 at 8:03pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor transactions to wrap up the weekend:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Detroit Lions

Jacksonville Jaguars

New York Giants

  • Waived: RB Jacob Saylors

New York Jets

Trice will unfortunately see his rookie season come to an end before it began. The third-round pick out of Washington exited Atlanta’s first preseason game with a knee injury that was later confirmed to be a torn ACL. Trice had been working his way into to outside linebacker rotation with the Falcons.

With Mevis getting cut, it seems the Panthers’ kicking battle has been decided. The rookie kicker, known as the “Thicker Kicker” at Missouri, was brought in to provide incumbent kicker Eddy Pineiro with competition for the job. Mevis’ departure leaves Pineiro as the only remaining kicker on the roster, putting an end to any competition.

Falcons Hoping To Trade QB Taylor Heinicke?

August 10th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Ben Levine

The Falcons invested heavily in the quarterback position this offseason. As a result, the team may be shopping their lone holdover at the position. As Josh Kendall of The Athletic writes, the Falcons staff is “behaving like it would prefer to get some trade value for Taylor Heinicke” vs. keeping him around as a QB3.

Heinicke had a successful run in Washington between 2021 and 2022, guiding his squad to a 12-11-1 record as a starter. That performance helped earn him a two-year, $14MM deal with his hometown Falcons last offseason, where he was expected to provide former third-round pick Desmond Ridder with some competition. Heinicke ultimately got four starts for Atlanta, going 1-3 while completing a career-low 54.4 percent of his passes.

The Falcons rebooted their QB position this offseason. First, they handed Kirk Cousins a lucrative contract, providing the organization with some veteran consistency at the position for the first time since the Matt Ryan era. The team later surprised many when they also added first-round QB Michael Penix Jr., a decision that definitively locked up a second QB spot on the 53-man roster.

While the team generally carried three QBs in 2023 while taking advantage of the league’s emergency quarterback spot, that might not be the case in 2024. Kendall says the team may prefer to just stash a young option on the practice squad as a QB3, and that means Heinicke (along with current QB4 Nathan Rourke) would likely be on the outside looking in.

While the Falcons would surely prefer to trade their quarterback, it may be easier said than done. Teams won’t be willing to give up a whole lot if they expect the Falcons to eventually cut Heinicke, and any QB-needy squads may just prefer to take their chances in a post-preseason bidding war. On the flip side, Heinicke doesn’t necessarily break the bank with his $4.5MM cap hit, and his starting experience could be valuable for teams seeking a dependable QB2. All the Falcons need is one suitor, but the team shouldn’t expect more than a late-round swap for the 31-year-old.

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