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Atlanta Falcons News & Rumors

Falcons Select WR Drake London With No. 8 Pick

April 28th, 2022 at 8:01pm CST by Ben Levine

The first wideout is off the board. The Falcons have selected USC wideout Drake London with the No. 8 pick.

The young wide receiver is undoubtedly talented. Despite only playing 8 games this year, London led his team in every receiving statistic, reeling in 88 receptions for 1,084 yards and 7 touchdowns. The next closest receiver on the team had 54 catches for 602 yards through 12 games.

London’s season came to an early end when he suffered a fractured ankle in late October. He underwent surgery but, according to ESPN’s Matt Miller, there was no ligament damage in the ankle. At the time of his injury, London was widely considered a top wide receiver in college football. Before he missed any time, he led the NCAA in receiving yards, contested catches (19), and missed tackles (22) and was the highest-graded receiver according to Pro Football Focus. So, while the numbers might not be there, there’s a reason why London was the first wideout off the board.

The Falcons offense will look a whole lot different next season with Matt Ryan no longer in Atlanta. Veteran Marcus Mariota will replace him under center, and London should instantly be one of his preferred targets, especially with Calvin Ridley suspended. The Falcons used their 2021 first-round pick on tight end Kyle Pitts, and the offensive weapons should highlight Atlanta’s offense for years to come (despite uncertainty at the QB position).

Minor NFL Transactions: 4/27/22

April 27th, 2022 at 7:42pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Wednesday’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

  • Signed: LS Liam McCullough

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Kansas City Chiefs

NFC Draft Notes: Giants, Lions, Falcons, Vikings, Eagles

April 26th, 2022 at 9:24pm CST by Ben Levine

We took a look at draft notes out of the AFC earlier this evening. In anticipation of Thursday’s draft, let’s pivot to the NFC:

  • The Giants are currently sitting with picks No. 5 and No. 7, but there’s a chance they move back in the first round. If they end up finding a trade partner, Dan Duggan of The Athletic believes the organization could be targeting Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum later in the first round. Staying in New York, Peter King of Football Morning in America writes that the Giants could select Oregon edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux at No. 7. Some recent reports indicated the Giants front office was down on the prospect, but King says the team has “done a ton of work on him since his Pro Day.” The Giants are also “extremely interested” in Florida State pass rusher Jermaine Johnson II and Mississippi State offensive tackle Charles Cross, per Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com.
  • Speaking of Thibodeaux, there’s a chance the edge jumps all the way to No. 2. While King has the Lions selecting Michigan edge Aidan Hutchinson with the second-overall pick, the reporter cautions that Detroit is “smitten” with the Oregon defender and could shake up the draft board by selecting him earlier than expected. Meanwhile, ESPN’s Todd McShay doesn’t see Thibodeaux falling pass the Falcons at No. 8.
  • Wrapping up King’s notes, the reporter writes that the Falcons like Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral. King has Atlanta trading up to select the signal-caller at No. 32, but there’s a chance Corral ends up falling to them anyway at their current selection at No. 43. Meanwhile, there hasn’t been much buzz connecting the Falcons to a quarterback at No. 8, according to NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe.
  • The Vikings are eyeing cornerbacks at No. 12, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. The reporter hints that a team outside of the top-12 could look to jump the Vikings in pursuit of one of the draft’s top cornerbacks.
  • McShay had a handful of notable tidbits about some NFC squads. The Seahawks are taking a “hard look” at Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis at No. 9, and the front office is also intrigued by LSU cornerback Derek Stingley Jr.. Meanwhile, the Eagles “preference” at No. 15 could be Alabama wideout Jameson Williams, and there’s little chance the receiver falls past the Saints at No. 16. Albert Breer of SI.com shares a similar sentiment about the Eagles, with sources telling him that the Eagles are seeking a pass rusher.
  • Continuing in Philly, the Eagles may not end up even selecting at No. 15. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport suggests (on Twitter) that the Eagles could be a candidate to move up in the first round. The reporter suggests that the front office could be targeting a cornerback or edge rusher.

RFA/ERFA Tender Signings: 4/19/22

April 19th, 2022 at 8:08pm CST by Ben Levine

Here’s a look at the latest tender signings from around the NFL:

RFAs

Signed:

ERFAs

Signed:

Falcons Sign DT Vincent Taylor

April 19th, 2022 at 9:57am CST by Adam La Rose

The Falcons have made a depth addition to their defensive line. The team announced on Tuesday that they are signing journeyman defensive tackle Vincent Taylor. 

The move comes one week after Taylor visited with Atlanta, so the signing comes as little surprise. The 28-year-old was originally a sixth-round pick of the Dolphins in 2017. He only lasted two seasons there, the second of which was cut short by a foot injury. In September 2019, he was cut by Miami.

That began a stretch of three seasons in which Taylor played for a new team each year. The most notable of those campaigns was in 2020 with the Browns. He played in a career-high 15 games, recording 12 tackles and a fumble recovery. That led him to Houston this past offseason, where he started only the second game of his NFL tenure in Week 1. An ankle injury suffered in that contest, however, ultimately ended his season.

Having only been available for 40 games in five seasons, the Oklahoma St. product will add experienced depth along the Falcons’ defensive line. He is likely to see a rotational role behind the likes of Grady Jarrett and Anthony Rush. The team has plenty of room for improvement on defense, having ranked 27th against the run and 26th overall last season. Taylor will look to help improve those statistics, and earn himself a multi-year stay in the process.

Contract Details: Brown, Mack, Woods

April 16th, 2022 at 12:37pm CST by Ben Levine

Here are some details on deals recently signed around the NFL:

  • Trent Brown, OL (Patriots): two-year, $11.5MM deal. Brown’s deal includes a $750K weight bonus in 2022 and 2023, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss. He’ll earn $150K if he shows up to the first day of offseason program at 385 pounds or less, another $75K if he’s at or under 375 pounds by June 1, another $75K if he’s at or under 365 pounds by July 15, and $25K weekly bonuses if he’s at 365 pounds or less each Thursday during the season.
  • Marlon Mack, RB (Texans): signed. It’s a one-year, $2MM deal, according to Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com (on Twitter). The deal includes a $250K signing bonus, a $1.25MM base salary, and $29K in per-game roster bonuses.
  • Auden Tate, WR (Falcons): one-year deal. The deal includes a $1.03MM base salary and only counts $930K against the cap, according to ESPN’s Michael Rothstein (on Twitter). Tate can also earn $5K per-game roster bonuses.
  • Xavier Woods, S (Panthers): three-year, $15.75MM deal. Deal includes more than $6MM in guaranteed money, per Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com (on Twitter). The deal includes a $5MM signing bonus. Woods can earn $250K for each Pro Bowl he makes. The safety will be owed a $1MM roster bonus on the third day of the 2023 league year.
  • Solomon Thomas, DL (Jets): one-year deal. The deal is worth $2.25MM, including $1.9MM in guaranteed money, tweets ESPN’s Rich Cimini (on Twitter). Thomas can earn another $2.5MM in incentives.
  • Will Hernandez, OL (Cardinals): one-year deal. The deal is worth $1.18MM, with $1.04MM in guaranteed money, according to veteran reporter Howard Balzer. The deal includes a $152K signing bonus. As a veteran qualifying contract, the deal counts $1.04MM against the cap.
  • Jesse Davis, OL (Vikings): one-year, $3MM deal. The deal includes a $1.5MM signing bonus, a $1.25MM fully guaranteed base salary, a $50K workout bonus, and up to $200K in per-game roster bonuses, tweets Ben Goessling of the Star-Tribune.. There’s also a void year in 2023.
  • Randy Bullock, K (Titans): signed. It’s a two-year deal worth $4.68MM, plus additional money for incentives, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter).

Falcons Eyeing QBs With No. 8 Pick?

April 16th, 2022 at 10:05am CST by Ben Levine

The post-Matt Ryan era has started in Atlanta, and while the organization may have inked Marcus Mariota to a deal, there’s a good chance the organization selects a quarterback in the upcoming draft. League sources expect the Falcons to select a signal-caller with the No. 8 pick in the NFL Draft, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports.

[RELATED: QB Matt Corral To Visit Five Teams]

Who would the Falcons ultimately select with that pick? Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (on Twitter), the Falcons are a potential landing spot for Liberty quarterback Malik Willis. The reporter notes that most scouts believe Willis is more of a project and won’t be ready to start during his rookie campaign, which would make him an ideal pairing with someone like Mariota.

Of course, with a handful of QB-needy teams ahead of them in the draft (including the Panthers at No. 6, who Fowler also mentions as a suitor for Willis), the Falcons front office can’t put all of their eggs in one basketball in pursuit of the Liberty QB. We heard recently that the team met with Ole Miss alum Matt Corral. North Carolina’s Sam Howell was the third QB to earn a top-3o visit with the Falcons.

After losing out on Deshaun Watson and trading away Ryan, the Falcons signed Mariota to a two-year contract. The former Titan and Raider is in line to start for the first time since 2019, but he would likely provide a short-term solution at the position at best. Mariota went 2-4 during his six-game stint as Tennessee’s starter in ’19, although he did toss seven touchdowns vs. only two interceptions.

Latest On Free Agent WR Jarvis Landry

April 14th, 2022 at 7:30pm CST by Ben Levine

Jarvis Landry is still unsigned, and the veteran receiver may remain a free agent through the end of the month. According to USA Today’s Tyler Dragon, Landry could wait until “dust from the NFL Draft settles” before making a decision on his future.

[RELATED: WR Jarvis Landry Seeking $20MM AAV?]

Landry has been connected to a number of teams since he was released by the Browns last month. Dragon confirms that there are “multiple” teams still interested in adding the wide receiver, and Dragon also reiterates a previous report that Landry could even land back in Cleveland. Besides a Browns reunion, the Chiefs, Saints, and Falcons have been mentioned as suitors for the 29-year-old.

Once Landry joins a new squad, it will be interesting to see how much he’s adjusted his worth since hitting free agency. A report from last month indicated that the veteran was seeking a contract that would pay him at least $20MM per year. His previous contract with Cleveland featured an AAV of just over $15MM, but the expectation is that his next deal will not hit even that yearly average, let alone a $20MM/year rate.

Landry, 30 in November, agreed to a five-year, $75.5MM extension with the Browns after they traded for him in 2018. He delivered two Pro Bowl seasons in Cleveland and served as Baker Mayfield‘s most consistent target. However, the veteran averaged just 47.5 receiving yards per game last season and missed five weeks of action.

Falcons Sign TE Anthony Firkser

April 12th, 2022 at 2:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

Arthur Smith will bring another of his former Titans charges to Atlanta. The Falcons agreed to a one-year deal with Anthony Firkser on Tuesday.

This comes not long after the Titans added ex-Falcon tight end Austin Hooper. Not as accomplished as the former Atlanta and Cleveland pass catcher, Firkser waited a bit longer to find a home in free agency. But he will see some familiar faces with the Falcons.

Smith coached Firkser for the first three seasons of his career, the first as his position coach and the next two as Titans offensive coordinator. Firkser, 27, will rejoin Marcus Mariota on a Falcons team that has also added ex-Titans linebacker Rashaan Evans this offseason. Firkser should be expected to fill the No. 2 tight end role behind Kyle Pitts, one vacated after Hayden Hurst signed with the Bengals last month.

The Titans not using their franchise tag on Jonnu Smith led the previous starter to the Patriots, though this defection did not exactly lead to a Firkser production increase. After a 39-catch 2020 season, the Harvard alum snared 34 passes for just 291 yards last season. Those numbers still led Titans tight ends. On a Falcons team currently without much at wide receiver, Firkser could see similar opportunities.

QB Matt Corral To Visit Five Teams

April 11th, 2022 at 9:18am CST by Adam La Rose

Much of the buzz around this month’s draft has been generated, not surprisingly, by the quarterback class. One prospect at the position who has received less attention than the likes of Kenny Pickett and Malik Willis is Ole Miss alum Matt Corral. That may change over the coming week, given the team visits he has scheduled. 

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (on Twitter) that Corral will meet with the Panthers, Eagles, Steelers, Saints and Falcons. Four of the teams on that list have been regularly linked with a number of the top QB options in this year’s class, and have question marks surrounding their long-term future at the position.

The outlier among those listed is the Eagles. The team has publicly committed to Jalen Hurts as their starter of the present, though they have left the door open to his status as the No. 1 changing in the near future. Many thought Philadelphia would have been active during the QB trade market last month; instead, they tried (unsuccessfully) to trade for a number of high-profile receivers. Then, they traded away one of their 2022 first-round picks to the Saints, adding an extra one next year.

In his final two years at Mississippi, Corral’s production jumped considerably. In 23 games since the 2020 campaign started, he threw for 6,686 yards and 49 touchdowns. He added an additional 1,120 yards and 15 scores on the ground. After leading the Rebels to a 10-3 season in 2021, he finished seventh in Heisman voting. That production is contrasted by many with his frame (six-foot-one, 205 pounds) and subsequent questions relating to whether he can withstand NFL physicality.

As the draft draws closer, it may be become clearer how the QB board will shake out this year. That will include where interested teams – including those five – slot Corral in amongst the other first-round-caliber prospects at the position.

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