HEADLINES

Charles Godfrey

Falcons’ Charles Godfrey Retires

July 27th, 2016 at 5:34pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Falcons safety Charles Godfrey announced his retirement Wednesday after eight NFL seasons, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Godfrey, a career-long member of the NFC South, spent last season with the Falcons and re-signed with them in March on a one-year deal. However, a change of heart will end his football career at the age of 30.

Godfrey entered the league with the Panthers, who chose him out of Iowa in the third round of the 2008 draft. The 5-foot-11, 210-pounder went on to have a handful of productive years in Carolina, where he totaled 95 regular-season appearances, 75 starts, 11 interceptions, eight forced fumbles and three sacks. In Godfrey’s best statistical season, 2010, he piled up career highs in tackles (84), picks (five) and starts (16). His tenure with the Panthers ended in 2014 after they released him, and he then caught on with rival Atlanta. Godfrey appeared in eight games and picked up 10 tackles with the Falcons last season.

With Godfrey off their roster, the Falcons added a pair of offensive players – wide receiver Corey Washington and tight end Arthur Lynch – on Wednesday, per Ledbetter. Washington’s sole NFL playing experience came as a Giant in 2014, when he caught five passes for 52 yards and a touchdown. Lynch was a fifth-round pick of Miami in 2014, but he hasn’t appeared in a game yet.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/14/16

March 14th, 2016 at 7:41pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves, signings, and other deals:

  • The Bears announced (on Twitter) that they have re-signed tight end Rob Housler to a one-year deal. The former Cardinals tight end had some productive years in Arizona in 2012 and 2013, but saw his role reduced in 2014 before leaving the team in free agency. In December 2015, he found his way to Chicago.
  • The Falcons signed Charles Godfrey, according to Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). The safety is slated to earn $965K between his $885K base salary and $80K signing bonus.
  • The Packers have signed defensive end Ray Drew, a street free agent from Georgia, a source tells ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky. Drew spent time on the Browns practice squad last year as a rookie. He originally signed with the Dolphins as an undrafted free agent.
  • The Raiders announced the signing of linebacker Daren Bates. Bates played in 44 games for the Rams over the last three seasons after signing with the team as an undrafted free agent in 2013.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/27/15

October 27th, 2015 at 4:11pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves:

  • The Broncos released nose tackle Marvin Austin from injured reserve,Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post tweets.
  • The Rams signed safety Christian Bryant, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets.
  • The Chargers released center J.D. Walton, as Eric Williams of ESPN.com tweets.
  • The Texans promoted safety Kurtis Drummond from the practice squad to the 53-man roster, Mark Berman of FOX 26 tweets.
  • The Rams have promoted defensive tackle Doug Worthington to the active roster from the practice squad and released Jo-Lonn Dunbar, Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch tweets.
  • The Colts have elevated wide receiver Quan Bray to the 53-man roster from the practice squad and waived safety Dewey McDonald, as Kevin Bowen of Colts.com tweets.
  • The Vikings have promoted linebacker Brandon Watts to the active roster, as Andrew Krammer of 1500 ESPN tweets. In a related move, cornerback Jabari Price has been placed on IR.
  • The Falcons will bring back safety Charles Godfrey again and release linebacker Allen Bradford, who was inactive this weekend against the Titans, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com tweets.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/20/15

October 20th, 2015 at 4:40pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor NFL signings, cuts, and other moves..

Earlier today:

  • The Browns are signing linebacker Jayson DiManche off the Chiefs‘ taxi squad, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. DiManche will take the roster spot previously filled by running back Shaun Draughn, who has been waived, as Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal writes. The 6-foot-1, 245-pound DiManche has appeared in 28 regular-season games with one start, all with the Bengals. Draughn appeared in five games this season for Cleveland with two carries for 10 yards.
  • The Falcons signed linebacker Philip Wheeler and released safety Charles Godfrey, as Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com tweets.
  • The Lions have claimed guard/tackle Michael Ola off waivers from the Chargers, as Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego tweets. Ola has yo-yo’d between the Chargers’ 53-man roster and the taxi squad all season long.
  • The Colts promoted safety Dewey McDonald from the practice squad, as Stephen Holder of the Indy Star tweets. The Colts also cut Amarlo Herrera and cornerback Shaun Prater, Wilson tweets.
  • The Seahawks signed Lemuel Jeanpierre and cut Crezdon Butler, as Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times tweets.
  • The Seahawks also placed linebacker Brock Coyle on IR-DTR, Gregg Bell of The News Tribune tweets.
  • The Chargers will sign safety Adrian Phillips from the practice squad as early as today, Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego tweets.
  • The Raiders re-signed strong safety Taylor Mays, according to Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter).
  • The Saints have signed wide receiver T.J. Graham, according to a source who spoke with Wilson (Twitter link).
  • The Vikings signed Kenrick Ellis and placed Shamar Stephen on IR, Wilson tweets.
  • The Jaguars moved wide receiver Neal Sterling to the active roster and signed safety Craig Loston, John Oehser of Jaguars.com tweets.

Workout Notes: 9/23/15

September 23rd, 2015 at 2:16pm CST by Luke Adams

Teams around the NFL are bringing in players for workouts, surveying the free agent landscape for possible practice squad additions or 53-man roster players, either for the near future or down the road. Here are a few of the latest auditions from across the league, via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (all links go to Twitter):

AFC:

NFC:

Falcons Sign Jake Long

September 15th, 2015 at 1:34pm CST by Luke Adams

TUESDAY, 1:34pm: Head coach Dan Quinn confirmed today that the Falcons have signed Long, and Charles Godfrey is being cut to clear room on the roster, per Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (Twitter links).

MONDAY, 7:58pm: Matt Ryan and the Falcons have had an impressive showing so far against the Eagles tonight, and the team may soon add another former first overall pick to its roster. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Atlanta is expected to sign offensive tackle Jake Long later this week.

Long, 30, saw time in just seven games for the Rams last season due to a torn ACL. The former No. 1 overall pick had been in St. Louis for the past two years after spending the first five years of his career with the Dolphins, but tore his ACL in each of those two seasons, playing in just 22 games during that stretch.

However, Long received the go-ahead for Dr. James Andrews, who medically cleared him last week, and the veteran offensive lineman paid a second visit to Atlanta upon being cleared. The Giants also had kicked the tires on Long, but it appeared there was more mutual interest between him and the Falcons.

Last season, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked Long as just the No. 36 tackle out of 84 qualified players. In 2013, however, Long graded out as the seventh-best tackle in the league with a strong 22.5 overall score, based on PFF’s advanced metrics. Those numbers suggest that Long could still be a productive player if he’s back to full health.

Falcons Re-Sign Charles Godfrey

March 5th, 2015 at 2:43pm CST by Luke Adams

2:43pm: Godfrey’s one-year deal with the Falcons is worth $1.5MM, according to Albert Breer of the NFL Network (via Twitter). It’s not clear how much of the contract – if any – is guaranteed, but the fact that it’s worth than the minimum is a little surprising, and suggests Godfrey should have a leg up on his competition for a roster spot this summer.

2:41pm: The Falcons have signed Charles Godfrey to a contract extension, keeping him from reaching the free agent market next week, according to Jay Adams of AtlantaFalcons.com (via Twitter). Terms of the agreement aren’t yet known, but I’d be surprised if it’s more than a minimum salary benefit contract for the veteran defensive back.

Godfrey, 29, was sidelined for most of the 2013 season after tearing his Achilles early in the year, then struggled at the beginning of the 2014 campaign, prompting the Panthers to release him. After starting all but one of his 73 games for Carolina during his first five years with the team, Godfrey began the 2014 season playing a lesser role for the Panthers, appearing in just 84 defensive snaps through four games. However, he was subsequently forced into more frequent action 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.

After signing with the Falcons, Godfrey didn’t play a single defensive snap for the remainder of the season, which makes the team’s decision to re-sign him somewhat curious, particularly considering there’s a new coaching staff in place. I would guess that Godfrey won’t be a lock to make Atlanta’s 53-man roster in the fall.

Falcons Sign Charles Godfrey

October 28th, 2014 at 3:39pm CST by Luke Adams

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.

Panthers Release Charles Godfrey

October 21st, 2014 at 2:12pm CST by Luke Adams

2:12pm: The Panthers have formally confirmed Godfrey’s release, signing offensive lineman Chris Scott of their practice squad to take his roster spot (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan).

2:10pm: The Panthers have informed agent Doug Hendrickson that they’re releasing veteran defensive back Charles Godfrey, Hendrickson announced today (via Twitter). The move will open up a spot on Carolina’s 53-man roster, though neither Godfrey’s release nor a corresponding signing has been announced so far.

Godfrey, 28, 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, 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 the last three weeks.

Because Godfrey is a vested veteran, he won’t have to pass through waivers, so other teams are free to bring him in for a workout or offer him a contract immediately after the move becomes official.

NFC South Notes: Falcons, Panthers, Saints

August 2nd, 2014 at 8:49am CST by Matt Feminis

A head injury to veteran Dwight Lowery once again shifts attention to the Falcons’ group of inexperienced safeties, including Kemal Ishmael. He’s ready for the opportunity, writes ESPN’s Vaughn McClure.

Here’s a few more NFC South links:

  • After struggling mightily to stop the run last season, the Falcons made a concerted effort to get bigger in the defensive interior, and the increased bulk is noticeable, says AP writer Charles Odum.
  • Panthers rookie cornerback Bene Benwikere, who is competing with Charles Godfrey for the nickel back job, has stood out in camp because of his ball skills and playmaking, writes Jonathan Jones in the Charlotte Observer. Head coach Ron Rivera compared Benwikere to former Bears Pro Bowler, Nathan Vasher, who had a reputation as a ballhawk.
  • Kenjon Barner, a Panthers sixth-rounder in 2013, was a non-factor as a rookie. However, he’s bulked up nearly 15 pounds and improved in pass protection in an effort to hold down a roster spot behind DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, according to Tom Sorensen of the Charlotte Observer.
  • Saints undrafted free agent receiver Brandon Coleman “has easily been the Saints’ most improved player since OTAs,” writes ESPN’s Mike Triplett.
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