HEADLINES

Drew Dalman

Falcons Activate C Drew Dalman, OLB Lorenzo Carter From IR

November 16th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Ely Allen

The Falcons made a slew of roster moves today in anticipation for their Week 11 matchup in Denver, per Falcons digital team reporter Terrin Waack, including several updates to their injured reserve. Atlanta activated center Drew Dalman and outside linebacker Lorenzo Carter from IR and placed defensive tackle Ta’Quon Graham and defensive end James Smith-Williams on IR.

Dalman has missed seven games since leaving the team’s Week 3 matchup against the Chiefs early with a high ankle sprain. Dalman, 25, had been a key contributor up front since taking on a first-team role; he graded out as Pro Football Focus’s third-best center last season. He sat in the top five for his performance during the early portion of the 2024 campaign, as well. Even more disappointing, Dalman is in a contract year, and missing half of the season after getting recognized as one of the league’s top centers could be detrimental to the money he might make.

With his activation today, he’ll retake his starting center gig from Ryan Neuzil. His return also eliminated the necessity to roster backup center Matt Hennessy. Hennessy was waived from the active roster on Thursday. He will be returning to Atlanta via the practice squad after going unclaimed on the waiver wire. In order to make room for Hennessy on the practice squad, the Falcons released veteran return specialist Jakeem Grant, who was signed to the practice squad earlier this week.

Carter will finally be making a comeback from IR this week, as well. Carter’s IR-stint was a bit of a surprise after the 28-year-old was placed on the NFL’s concussion protocol. He had originally been placed on the team’s injury report under the designation of “illness” after not practicing, but Atlanta updated the designation to “concussion” by the end of that same day.

It’s still unclear why Carter’s concussion required a four-game absence when we’ve seen several players pass through the protocol within a week, but regardless, the Falcons will be happy to return a pass rushing weapon to what has been a virtually nonexistent pass rushing attack. Atlanta ranks dead-last in the league in sacks (9), despite sitting at 15th in the NFL in quarterback hurries and 14th in quarterback knockdowns. Currently, defensive tackle Grady Jarrett leads the team with 2.5 sacks, edge rusher Matt Judon is second with 1.5, and five other players add a sack each to the team’s total.

Luckily, Graham’s placement on IR has nothing to do with his MCL tear from the 2022 season. Far-removed from the knee injury, Graham is now dealing with an injured pectoral muscle suffered in last Sunday’s loss to the Saints. Smith-Williams also went down in last week’s game with an injury but returned later in the game. The following day, though, head coach Raheem Morris said the injury was “not great,” revealing that Smith-Williams was dealing with a tibia injury.

In addition to the IR transactions above, cornerback Natrone Brooks will fill an empty spot on the 53-man active roster, getting signed from the practice squad. Brooks had reached his three-game elevation limit from the practice squad, so in order to play in any more games, he needed to be signed to the active roster. Joining Brooks on the active roster from the practice squad will be safety Dane Cruikshank and outside linebacker Khalid Kareem, who will serve as the team’s standard gameday elevations for Week 11.

Falcons Designate Drew Dalman For Return

October 30th, 2024 at 3:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Falcons have been without their starting center since a Week 3 Sunday-night loss to the Chiefs. It does not appear Atlanta will be missing its pivot much longer.

Drew Dalman is back at practice, receiving an official return designation Wednesday. This will start Dalman’s 21-day activation clock, giving him an onramp to return — provided an extended one should be necessary. Dalman has been down with an ankle injury. The Falcons are in good shape in terms of injury activations, holding six.

On an O-line that features three first-round picks and a second-rounder, Dalman stands out due to being a former Day 3 investment. The 2021 fourth-rounder (out of Stanford) became a Falcons starter to open his second season, replacing Matt Hennessy at center for the Falcons. Dalman, 26, has started 34 games since winning the job in 2022.

In addition to the Falcons being set to benefit from their center’s return, Dalman has a closing argument to make in terms of a second contract. The Falcons have some major investments up front, having Jake Matthews on a third contract and both Chris Lindstrom and Kaleb McGary on second pacts. While some flexibility exists for the team — especially considering Kirk Cousins‘ post-2024 future, which some around the league classify as murky — Dalman may well be set to audition for a free agency bid.

Primary Dalman replacement Ryan Neuzil ranks as Pro Football Focus’ third-lowest-graded center this season, logging 236 snaps in relief of the starter. PFF slotted Dalman third last season, illustrating the upgrade the Falcons (5-3) could make up front as they vie for their first division title since 2016.

Falcons Place C Drew Dalman On IR

September 24th, 2024 at 2:54pm CST by Adam La Rose

Losing two starting offensive linemen significantly hindered the Falcons’ effort in a narrow loss to the Chiefs, and the NFC South team will be without one of those players for an extended period.

Drew Dalman is heading to IR, per NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo, due to the ankle injury he sustained Sunday night; the team has since announced the move. Early in his third season with as the Falcons’ starter, Dalman is in a contract year and cannot return until around the midseason point. The Falcons will be without Dalman until at least Week 8.

This news deals a blow to Atlanta’s offensive line, a unit which enjoyed continuity carrying over from the 2023 campaign. Dalman, 25, has been a key contributor up front since taking on a first-team role; he graded out as PFF’s third-best center last season. He sat in the top five for his performance during the early portion of the 2024 campaign. While this news does not come as a surprise, it will leave a notable vacancy in the middle for the Falcons.

Ryan Neuzil filled in for Dalman in Week 3, and he is positioned to handle a starter’s workload moving forward. The former UDFA has seen time with Atlanta since 2022, making four starts last season. Neuzil logged nearly 200 O-line snaps that campaign, all of which came at center. He drew a PFF grade of 55.3, however, so team and player will be hoping for a step forward in play while Dalman is on the mend. Missed time carries the risk of hindering the latter’s market value during the spring, of course.

In a corresponding move, the Falcons added depth up front by promoting Elijah Wilkinson from the practice squad to the active roster. A veteran of 77 games and 45 starts, Wilkinson logged a first-team role with Atlanta in 2022. He has seen time at guard and tackle during his career, making him a candidate to serve as a right tackle option in the near future. Starter Kaleb McGary is believed to have suffered an MCL sprain, so he could miss time. Wilkinson’s most common position at the NFL level is right tackle, although he exclusively played at left guard during his first Falcons stint.

Atlanta has also signed Matt Hennessy to the practice squad. The 26-year-old was drafted by the Falcons in 2020, and he primarily played at center during his first two years with the team before shifting to guard in 2022. Hennessy has not seen regular season action since then, and he was unable to land a roster spot with the Eagles this offseason. He will now provide Atlanta with interior depth while Dalman recovers.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.

Falcons C Drew Dalman Expected To Miss Time; Latest On RT Kaleb McGary

September 23rd, 2024 at 12:04pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Falcons came up short against the Chiefs on Sunday night, and their offensive line suffered multiple injuries in the process. Both center Drew Dalman and right tackle Kaleb McGary are in danger of missing time.

Dalman suffered a high ankle sprain, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Further testing is still needed, but Rapoport adds the 25-year-old is expected to miss time to the point where injured reserve may come into play. An IR stint would guarantee at least a four-week absence and leave the Falcons without a full-time starter up front.

Selected in the fourth round of the 2021 draft, Dalman hardly saw the field during his rookie season. Since then, however, he has taken on first-team center duties. The Stanford product has only missed three games so far in his career, but the injury suffered last night threatens to increase that figure. Dalman graded out as PFF’s third-best center in 2023, and his early showings this year slotted him fifth. Any missed time would be acutely felt.

McGary exited the loss due to a knee injury. Rapoport notes the ailment is believed to be an MCL sprain, although an MRI will be needed to confirm. If that diagnoses proves to be true, at least a brief absence would become likely in McGary’s case. The Washington product has started all but one game during his six years in Atlanta, and durability has generally not been a concern. PFF has not usually rated McGary as one of the league’s top tackles, but the former first-rounder ranked fourth in 2022.

McGary, 29, is attached to a three-year, $34.5MM extension he inked last offseason as part of the Falcons’ investments up front. He is a key figure for the team’s efforts to deliver a step forward on offense in 2024; the same is of course true of Dalman, who is a pending free agent. Updates in both cases will be worth watching closely.