Jacob Pedersen

Audition Notes: Wednesday

The Cowboys scheduled a visit for linebacker Will Smith, a source tells Charean Williams of the Star-Telegram. However, there might not be a spot for Smith after Tim Dobbins was picked up earlier today. The Cowboys have needs at offensive guard and at linebacker with injuries to starting left guard Ron Leary and starting weakside linebacker Justin Durant. Durant is done for the year while Leary is out with a groin strain. A look at today’s auditions from around the NFL..

South Auditions: Bucs, Titans, Jags, Panthers

Earlier today, we passed along several updates from Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun on AFC and NFC East teams working out free agents, perhaps with an eye on signing some of them later in the season. A handful of teams in the AFC and NFC South have also auditioned players this week, and Wilson has those items as well, via Twitter. Here are the highlights:

Falcons Release Pat Angerer, Others

3:17pm: The Falcons have issued a press release announcing their first wave of final cuts. In addition to confirming the cuts noted below, the team also parted ways with the following players:

  • Nosa Eguae (DE)
  • Jordan Mabin (CB)
  • Freddie Martino (WR)
  • Kimario McFadden (S)
  • Jacob Pedersen (TE)
  • Adam Replogle (OL)
  • Donte Rumph (DT)
  • Josh Vaughan (RB)

1:27pm: Fullback Maurice Hagens is the Falcons’ latest roster casualty, per McClure (via Twitter).

12:51pm: The Falcons have also released offensive lineman Pat McQuistan, according to ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure (on Twitter).

12:09pm: The Falcons are set to release linebacker Pat Angerer, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (on Twitter). Fellow linebacker Yawin Smallwood, who was taken in the seventh-round of this year’s draft, will also get cut.

Angerer, a 2010 second-round pick, underwent microfracture surgery in December. At the time, the veteran was told that his chances of returning were slim, but he was healthy enough to be a consideration for the Falcons this offseason.

It was about 50-50 but more like 20 percent chance of coming back (with) the way my knee was,” Angerer told Michael Cunningham of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “It was pretty beat up. To come back and to even be on the field, that’s a pretty big accomplishment and something I’m really proud of. I’m looking forward to taking advantage of the opportunity.”

Angerer, 27, racked up 226 tackles in his first two NFL seasons but has played more sparsely over the last two years, in part due to foot and knee injuries. Many expected Angerer to be a shoe-in for the Falcons after they lost Sean Weatherspoon for the year, but it was not meant to be.

Falcons Sign 20 Undrafted Free Agents

The Falcons are the latest team to make their undrafted free agent class official, announcing in a press release that they’ve signed 20 new rookies to contracts. Here’s the complete list:

  • Geraldo Boldewijn, WR, Boise State
  • Brenden Daley, LB, Hawaii
  • Nosa Eguae, DE, Auburn
  • Devonta Glover-Wright, CB, Utah State
  • Maurice Hagens, FB, Miami (FL)
  • Julian Jones, WR, Arkansas State
  • Freddie Martino, WR, North Greenville
  • Jeff Mathews, QB, Cornell
  • Walker May, OLB, Vanderbilt
  • Kimario McFadden, S, South Carolina State
  • Roosevelt Nix, FB, Kent State ($15K bonus, per Aaron Wilson)
  • Jacob Pedersen, TE, Wisconsin
  • Bernard Reedy, WR, Toledo
  • Donte Rumph, DT, Kentucky
  • Jacques Smith, OLB, Tennessee
  • Jerome Smith, RB, Syracuse
  • James Stone, C, Tennessee
  • Tramaine Thompson, WR, Kansas State
  • Brian Wozniak, TE, Wisconsin
  • Matt Yoklic, P, Pittsburgh