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Atlanta Falcons News & Rumors

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/14/23

May 14th, 2023 at 5:04pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor moves to wrap up the weekend:

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

  • Signed: CB LJ Davis

Ray is making a long-awaited return to the NFL. When he finished out his rookie contract with the Broncos after the 2018 season and failed to make the Ravens roster for the next year, Ray was away from professional football for about a year and a half. After a long hiatus, he signed with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. The Bills will give Ray a chance to return to the NFL, reuniting him with Von Miller from their days in Denver.

Ray saw early success in Denver, racking up 12.0 sacks in his first two years. But after earning a starting job in 2017, Ray suffered a season-ending wrist injury after only eight games. In 2018, another wrist surgery would force him to miss five more games. His injury problems did not leave him in Canada, as a torn bicep would force him to miss the Argonauts’ Grey Cup victory. He’ll hope to stay healthy in his NFL return.

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/12/23

May 12th, 2023 at 9:09pm CST by Ely Allen

Rookie minicamps started today and more rookies put the names on the dotted line of their four-year contracts. Here are the mid- to late-round picks who signed today:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

Pittsburgh Steelers

Washington Commanders

Falcons Exec Phil Emery Retires

May 12th, 2023 at 5:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Falcons executive Phil Emery will leave his post with the organization, opting to retire after nearly 25 years in NFL front offices. Emery enjoyed two stints with the Falcons, the most recent beginning in 2016.

Best known for his time with the Bears, Emery, 64, broke into the scouting ranks with the then-NFC Central team in the late 1990s and, after time with other organizations, returned to become the team’s GM in 2012. That tenure lasted just three seasons, with Emery and HC Marc Trestman fired after the 2014 campaign ended.

Emery fired longtime Bears HC Lovie Smith in 2013, hiring Trestman, a veteran offensive coordinator who also enjoyed great success in the CFL. The Bears, who went 10-6 in Smith’s final season, completed 8-8 and 5-11 seasons under Trestman.

Emery assembled the most statistically productive wide receiver duo in Bears history, trading for Brandon Marshall in 2012 and pairing him with 2012 second-round pick Alshon Jeffery. The two worked with Jay Cutler, acquired by a previous regime but extended under Emery, before Emery successor Ryan Pace traded Marshall in 2015. The Bears ranked second offensively in 2013, doing so as a Cutler injury helped foster Josh McCown‘s resurgence, and played for the NFC North title in a Week 17 game against the Packers. Back from injury, Aaron Rodgers led the Packers past the Bears in that game. Chicago’s offense then regressed in 2014, and its defense had nosedived during Trestman’s stay.

Prior to his run atop Chicago’s front office, Emery served as the Falcons and Chiefs’ director of scouting. The Falcons assembled part of their early-2010s core during Emery’s initial Atlanta stint, when the team drafted Roddy White and Matt Ryan. Emery spent much of the 1980s and ’90s as a college strength and conditioning coach.

Following the Bears ouster, Emery returned to the Falcons in 2016, when the team hired both he and ex-Titans GM Ruston Webster as national scouts. Although current GM Terry Fontenot had not worked with Emery previously, he kept the veteran personnel man on upon being hired in 2021. Emery and Webster moved into senior personnel executive roles upon Fontenot’s arrival.

“It’s not just the fact you have that knowledge; it’s the willingness to share it,” Fontenot said of Emery. “That was a great thing about Phil. He was great in the room and is passionate about the game and its details. To hear him talk about a player was so valuable. He was open and willing to share his experience, whether something went well, or it didn’t. The wisdom and openness was so huge for us.”

A few Falcons staffers have moved on this offseason. The Titans hired Anthony Robinson as their co-assistant GM, and the Cardinals’ new front office staff now includes ex-Falcons staffer Rob Kisiel.

Falcons Sign Round 1 RB Bijan Robinson

May 11th, 2023 at 4:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the Falcons prepare for their rookie minicamp, they will have their top draft pick under contract. Bijan Robinson agreed to terms with the team on Thursday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Selected eighth overall, Robinson signed a four-year, $21.96MM deal that will include a 2027 option for the Falcons to exercise by May, 2026. The former Texas superstar’s rookie deal will be fully guaranteed.

Although the Falcons sported a top-tier rushing attack last season, they opted to take the player widely viewed as the best back in this year’s draft. Robinson finished his collegiate career with more than 4,000 yards from scrimmage and 41 touchdowns. This included a 2022 campaign where he had 1,894 offensive yards and 20 scores, leading to him earning a unanimous All-American nod after the season.

While the rookie only had 60 receptions in three college seasons, the Falcons should still be able to find creative ways to use him in a crowded depth chart. 2022 fifth-round pick Tyler Allgeier finished his rookie season with more than 1,000 rushing yards, while veteran Cordarrelle Patterson contributed more than 800 yards from scrimmage (which followed a 2021 campaign where he compiled 1,166 yards from scrimmage and 11 touchdowns).

Even if it takes a bit for Robinson to get going, Atlanta’s front office can hang their hats on a talented collection of offensive skill players. The Falcons have now drafted skill-position talents in the top 10 in each of the past three years. Robinson joins 2021 No. 4 overall pick Kyle Pitts and 2022 No. 8 selection Drake London in Atlanta. While the previous two picks will not be at Atlanta’s rookie camp Friday, Robinson will begin his Falcons work with the other rookies this weekend.

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/10/23

May 10th, 2023 at 7:36pm CST by Ely Allen

Teams are moving quickly on inking their Day 3 draftees to their four-year rookie deals, with this process involving a slot system that does not feature many complications for late-round players. Here are the latest such agreements to commence:

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Detroit Lions

Jacksonville Jaguars

New England Patriots

San Francisco 49ers

Washington Commanders

Johnson transferred back to the west coast after a freshman year at Miami (FL). He established himself as one of the most versatile players in the country while in Eugene, contributing for the Ducks on defense as an edge rusher and on offense as a tight end. Carolina drafted him for his defensive potential.

Moody is the expected replacement for Robbie Gould, who departed in free agency this spring after six years with San Francisco. Likewise, New England moved on from punter Jake Bailey after a couple of internal disagreements. Baringer is expected to take over for the one-time All-Pro punter.

Falcons Sign CB Tre Flowers

May 8th, 2023 at 10:55am CST by Adam La Rose

The Falcons have made another veteran addition to their defense. The team announced on Monday that cornerback Tre Flowers has signed a one-year deal.

The 27-year-old received interest from the Panthers prior to the draft, but he will now head elsewhere in the NFC South. Flowers has logged 41 starts in his career, all but one of which came during his tenure in Seattle. A Seahawks fifth-rounder in 2018, he saw his workload change dramatically after his first two campaigns.

Flowers’ playing time dropped in 2020 and ’21 as Sidney Jones moved ahead of him on the depth chart. That led to the Seahawks’ decision to place the former on waivers in October 2021. The Bengals took advantage of that decision by claiming him and using him in a rotational capacity during their run to the Super Bowl. Cincinnati was sufficiently impressed with the Oklahoma State alum that they re-signed him last offseason.

Flowers played primarily on special teams during his first and only full Bengals campaign. He did add one interception and three pass deflections, though, and has considerable first-team experience dating back to his time in Seattle. It comes as little surprise that Flowers will not be returning to Cincinnati, though, as the Bengals have added Jones in free agency and fellow corner DJ Turner in the second round of the draft.

In Atlanta, Flowers will join a secondary which has seen a number of additions this offseason. The Falcons signed Mike Hughes and traded for Jeff Okudah prior to the draft, moves which came after the big-ticket deal given to safety Jessie Bates. Atlanta also selected corner Clark Phillips III in the fourth round of the draft, giving them a number of options to compliment AJ Terrell. Flowers will look to carve out a role in the team’s new-look CB room, one which should enter the 2023 season with heightened expectations.

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/4/23

May 4th, 2023 at 6:32pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Minnesota Vikings

  • Claimed off waivers (from Falcons): CB John Reid

Hart got into 39 games for the Seahawks over the past three years. The majority of his work came on special teams, but he did manage to haul in 11 receptions during his limited snaps on offense. More notably, Hart had 17 special teams tackles over the past two years, including 11 last season.

Meanwhile, the Vikings made a move on a Falcons castoff. Reid got into 24 games for the Texans and Seahawks between 2020 and 2021, but he bounced around the league a bit in 2022. He appeared in three games (one start) with the Titans before catching on with Atlanta’s practice squad late in the season.

Titans To Hire Anthony Robinson As Assistant GM

May 4th, 2023 at 8:29am CST by Sam Robinson

The Titans will structure their front office to include two assistant general managers. Months after Ran Carthon named Chad Brinker to that position, the rookie GM will add another exec to that rung on the front office ladder.

Falcons director of college scouting Anthony Robinson will join the Titans as assistant GM, according to SI.com’s Albert Breer (on Twitter). Robinson had been with the Falcons since 2008.

Hired during Thomas Dimitroff‘s first year as Atlanta GM, Robinson moved up to the college scouting director post in 2019. Breaking into the business as a Ravens staffer nearly 20 years ago, Robinson became a full-time Falcons scout in 2011. Helping scout the likes of Devonta Freeman, Grady Jarrett and Calvin Ridley, Robinson moved into position to where a GM interview may not be too far off. The Falcons interviewed Robinson for their GM job ahead of Terry Fontenot‘s 2021 hire.

Carthon, who joined the Titans after spending several years as a top John Lynch lieutenant with the 49ers, will structure his front office the same way the Browns and Eagles did last year. Brinker, who came over from the Packers, will oversee the Titans’ football operations department; Robinson will run the team’s scouting operation, Breer adds.

Browns GM Andrew Berry organized his FO structure this way in 2022, promoting Glenn Cook to assistant GM to work alongside ex-Eagles staffer Catherine Raiche. After the Eagles lost several staffers — many to assistant GM roles — last year, Howie Roseman named Jon Ferrari and Alec Halaby as co-assistant GMs.

The Falcons kept Robinson in his college scouting director post despite changing GMs in 2021, with Fontenot taking over after Dimitroff’s lengthy run atop the NFC South team’s front office. Atlanta will now need to make an adjustment to replace Robinson.

Falcons Sign Six UDFAs

May 3rd, 2023 at 10:21am CST by Sam Robinson

The Falcons kept their UDFA class small this year. Here are the six players Atlanta brought in as post-draft priority signings:

Only one of these prospects comes from a Power 5 program. The Falcons reached to the mid-major level in Division I-FBS (Enechukwu, Marshall), Division I-FCS (Washington) and Division II (Harris, Malone) for their UDFAs this year.

The Commanders also pursued Harris, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, who notes the NFC East team offered the small-school wideout an $80K guarantee (Twitter link). It is unclear what the Falcons are guaranteeing Harris, but it is likely in that ballpark. Harris posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons at Oklahoma Baptist; he caught 16 touchdown passes in 2021 and combined for 172 catches in that span. He also excelled as the Bison’s kick returner.

Atlanta lost Olamide Zaccheaus and Damiere Byrd in free agency and did not draft a wide receiver, opening a door for this UDFA class. The team did add Mack Hollins and Scotty Miller to its equation. Malone joined Harris as a Division II All-American last season. The former JUCO transfer caught 67 passes for 1,382 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2022. The Falcons certainly placed a premium on production with this receiver duo, which both produced out of the Great American Conference. That said, Harris and Malone will obviously be set for quite the competition level jump this offseason.

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