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Atlanta Falcons News & Rumors

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.

Minor NFL Transactions: 4/8/22

April 8th, 2022 at 12:58pm CST by Zachary Links

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:

Atlanta Falcons

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

Los Angeles Chargers

New York Giants

  • Signed: OT Roy Mbaeteka

Falcons Planning Kayvon Thibodeaux Visit

April 6th, 2022 at 5:08pm CST by Sam Robinson
  • Teams will do their due diligence on Thibodeaux, who is set to meet with the non-Jaguars contingent of the top five (Lions, Texans, Jets, Giants). The Eagles (Nos. 15 and 18) and Falcons (No. 9) are also planning “30” visits with Thibodeaux, Wilson notes. Questions about Thibodeaux’s motor and attitude have injected uncertainty into the defensive end’s status. A fall to Philly at 15 might not shock at this point.

Falcons Sign Germain Ifedi

April 6th, 2022 at 12:29pm CST by Adam La Rose

Not long after visiting the Falcons, offensive linemen Germain Ifedi has indeed joined the team. Atlanta announced on Wednesday that they have signed the veteran to a one-year contract. 

Ifedi met with the Falcons less than two weeks ago, so this move doesn’t come as much of a surprise. The 27-year-old was a first-round pick of the Seahawks in 2016. In four seasons there, he started all 60 games he appeared in. He manned both the right guard and right tackle spots, but never graded out well in terms of PFF ratings.

Ifedi then signed with the Bears two years ago. The first of his campaigns in the Windy City saw his best performance to date, as he played every snap and earned a PFF grade of 65. Availability became a problem for the first time in his career in 2021, however; a knee injury helped limit him to seven starts and nine games played. Just like in Seattle, Ifedi spent time at both guard and tackle.

By signing in Atlanta, the Texas A&M alum becomes the fifth ex-Bear to join the Falcons. The team’s starters at the RG and RT spots – Chris Lindstrom and Kaleb McGary, respectively – are each under contract for one more season. Ifedi could, at a minimum, provide experienced depth at each position for the 2022 campaign and perhaps earn himself an extended stay with his play there.

Malik Willis To Visit Panthers, Falcons

April 5th, 2022 at 8:56am CST by Adam La Rose

Throughout the pre-draft process, Liberty quarterback Malik Willis has established himself as one of, if not the most coveted prospects amongst this year’s class of signal-callers. As the build-up to the draft now shifts towards team meetings, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (on Twitter) that Willis will meet with the Panthers and Falcons next week. 

Those two teams have long been involved in speculation with respect to drafting a QB this April. Carolina has Sam Darnold under contract for one more season since they picked up his fifth-year option, but general manager Scott Fitterer spoke recently about the possibility of drafting his replacement with the sixth overall pick.

“This will be interesting because the tackles will be the best players on the board. But we do need a quarterback, and at some point you have to take a shot, especially in the top 10” he said, adding that the decision to take a quarterback is complicated by the fact that this year’s class lacks a clear-cut top option.

The Falcons, a fellow runner-up to land Deshaun Watson, have questions of their own at the position. After trading away Matt Ryan, they signed Marcus 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. That has made Atlanta – who holds the eighth overall pick – a prime candidate to draft their next franchise QB in April.

Schefter notes that Willis has already met with a number of other teams, including the Steelers, Saints, Giants and Titans. Given their respective current QB status and position in the draft, each of those clubs would likely have at least some interest in adding Willis as well. Overall, his will be one of the most important names to watch as the draft draws nearer.

Falcons, LB Rashaan Evans Agree To Deal

April 4th, 2022 at 5:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

Rashaan Evans‘ Falcons visit produced an accepted contract offer. The former Tennessee linebacker agreed to a one-year deal with Atlanta, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

This move will reunite Evans with Falcons defensive coordinator Dean Pees, who formerly worked as the Titans’ DC. Pees and Arthur Smith will deploy a familiar face to address the latest linebacker defection in free agency.

The Falcons lost Foyesade Oluokun last month; the breakout tackler signed with the Jaguars. This came two years after the Falcons let De’Vondre Campbell walk in free agency. Evans should be expected to line up alongside Deion Jones in Atlanta.

A 2018 first-round pick, Evans started 50 games for the Titans. He did not miss a start during the 2019 or ’20 seasons and, after a midseason IR stay last year, returned to help Tennessee secure the AFC’s No. 1 seed. The Titans did not pick up Evans’ fifth-year option in 2021, routing him to free agency.

Evans’ Titans run ended meekly. The Titans made the former Alabama standout a healthy scratch for their divisional-round game and had used him on fewer than 40% of their snaps in Weeks 17 and 18. Evans has a 100-plus-tackle season on his resume (2019); he added 2.5 sacks that year. Evans, 26, intercepted two passes and forced a fumble in his abbreviated 2021 season. This Falcons pact represents an opportunity for the former top prospect to re-establish some momentum in a familiar defensive system.

Cowboys, Falcons, Packers, Texans Pursued DeVante Parker

April 4th, 2022 at 4:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Patriots’ latest wide receiver trade sent DeVante Parker from one AFC East team to another, but at least four teams from outside the division discussed acquiring the former first-round pick.

The Packers, Falcons and Texans engaged in talks with either the Dolphins or Parker’s agent about the veteran wide receiver, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes, while ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds the Cowboys resided in the mix as well (Twitter links).

Parker went to the Pats in a deal that sent the Dolphins a third-round pick, with Fowler adding talks between the rivals heated up on the pro-day circuit. The career-long Dolphin wanted to be dealt to the Patriots, per Fowler and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (video link).

Dallas’ receiver room changed in March, when the team dealt Amari Cooper to Cleveland for little compensation — at least compared to what the Cowboys parted with to acquire Cooper — and let Cedrick Wilson Jr. defect to Miami. The Dolphins’ Wilson move and their Tyreek Hill blockbuster left Parker without a certain role in Mike McDaniel‘s offense. This led to the seven-year vet going on the trade block.

Green Bay joined Dallas in dealing its No. 1 wideout in March, sending Davante Adams to Las Vegas. Marquez Valdes-Scantling‘s Chiefs commitment leaves the Packers with little at receiver. The Falcons have seen their receiving corps gutted over the past 10 months, to the point they do not have a No. 1- or No. 2-caliber receiver on their roster. The Texans do not have much beyond Brandin Cooks at the position. And the oft-traded wideout is going into the final year of his Rams-constructed contract.

Parker is signed through the 2023 season and is on the Patriots’ books at $5.65MM and $5.7MM for the next two years. While the 29-year-old target has not been especially consistent, he has a 1,200-yard season on his resume (2019) and carried a contract that looks quite reasonable considering where Adams and Hill took the market last month.

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