The Falcons have signed a veteran safety recently cut by one of their division rivals, the team announced today, confirming that Charles Godfrey has joined the team. To make room on the roster, the club has cut safety Sean Baker (Twitter link via D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution).
Godfrey, who will turn 29 in November, was sidelined for most of the 2013 season after tearing his Achilles early in the year. While the Panthers elected to keep him on the roster through the offseason and for the start of the 2014 campaign, the team reworked his contract significantly, reducing his base salary by more than $4MM and converting some of that money to per-game roster bonuses.
After starting all but one of his 73 games for Carolina during his first five years with the team, Godfrey began this season playing a lesser role, appearing in just 84 defensive snaps through four games. However, he was forced into more frequent action in recent weeks and struggled with the increased workload and a shift to cornerback, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). PFF’s data gave Godfrey a -0.5 grade for his play through the first four weeks, and a -9.9 mark for weeks five through seven. The Panthers released Godfrey last Tuesday.