Richie Grant

Falcons S DeMarcco Hellams Suffers Ankle Injury

DeMarcco Hellams‘ efforts to secure a starting spot on defense in 2024 have come to a halt. The second-year safety is set to miss “significant time” due to an ankle injury, head coach Raheem Morris said (via team reporter Tori McElhaney).

Hellams was selected in the seventh round of last year’s draft after pick No. 224 was included in the Bryan Edwards trade. He logged a special teams role right away during his rookie campaign, but as the season progressed he also took on defensive responsibilities. The 24-year-old ultimately made four starts late in the year, surpassing former second-rounder Richie Grant on the depth chart.

In all, Hellams totaled 40 tackles and did not allow a touchdown in coverage last season. That level of play – coupled with his third phase role – had him in line to compete for a full-time defensive spot or at least a key rotational workload in 2024. Now, his attention will turn to recovery and minimizing the time he misses during the regular season.

Today’s news means Grant will regain his starting spot in time for Week 1. That was already the way things appeared to be headed, as noted by ESPN’s Marc Raimondi, based on training camp performances. The 26-year-old took on first-team duties in 2022, racking up 123 tackles and seven pass deflections. Grant once again filled the statsheet last season (103 stops, three sacks), but he surrendered six touchdowns and a 126.6 passer rating in coverage. Those struggles led to Hellams seeing additional snaps late in the campaign, but Grant will no longer have competition for the time being.

The latter is entering the final year of his rookie contract, so a strong showing would help his market value on a second Falcons deal or one sending him to a new team. Atlanta already has one major financial commitment on the books in the form of Jessie Bates, but for 2024 Grant and Hellams constitute cost-effective starting options. The team’s depth at the safety spot will be limited for a stretch at the start of the year, though.

NFC South Notes: White, Falcons, Saints

Weeks after making a trade request, Devin White showed for Buccaneers minicamp this week. This was the expected outcome, but the talented linebacker did not participate. Still, Todd Bowles did not refer to this as a hold-in measure. The second-year Tampa Bay HC said (via ESPN’s Jenna Laine) the team wanted to gauge White’s readiness, though it is unclear if the former top-five pick is dealing with a specific injury. Bowles said he expects White to be ready to go for training camp. Though, that could be when a hold-in effort takes place in earnest. White, who avoided nearly $100K in fines by reporting to minicamp, is tied to an $11.7MM fifth-year option salary. Although White wants top-five ILB money and has not yet seen the Bucs show interest in signing off on such an extension, team brass said multiple times this offseason no trade desire exists on the organization’s part.

Here is the latest from the NFC South:

  • It appears the Falcons‘ big-ticket Jessie Bates acquisition will displace Jaylinn Hawkins. After the former fourth-round pick started 16 games last season, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s D. Orlando Ledbetter notes it will likely be Bates teaming with Richie Grant — a 17-game starter in 2022 — this year. Pro Football Focus’ No. 66 safety last season, Hawkins may factor in when the team uses three-safety looks. But a contract-year demotion looks set to commence.
  • Falcons defensive tackle Ta’Quon Graham missed last season’s final seven games due a full MCL tear, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com tweets. After not participating in OTAs, the third-year defender was back on the field at minicamp. Like Hawkins, Graham might see the Falcons’ free agency moves affect his role. The team signed David Onyemata and Calais Campbell, and Eddie Goldman is attempting to return after a 2022 retirement call. Goldman, however, did not work with the team during minicamp.
  • Trevor Penning already underwent surgery to repair a Lisfranc injury sustained in Week 18. While the Saints tackle is expected to be ready for training camp, NOLA.com’s Jeff Duncan notes he is undergoing a second procedure Friday to remove hardware from the repaired foot. Penning started just one game as a rookie, seeing another injury — a torn foot ligament — delay his NFL debut by nearly three months. But the 2022 first-round pick is on track to be New Orleans’ Week 1 left tackle starter this year. James Hurst, the team’s primary blind-sider last season, shared first-team duties with third-year blocker Landon Young at minicamp.
  • After spending the past two seasons as a Saints staffer, Sterling Moore will not be with the team going forward. The Saints dismissed the former cornerback from their staff, NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill tweets. Moore worked as New Orleans’ assistant DBs coach last season. Moore, 33, started 12 games for the Saints in 2016 and played two seasons with the team. The Saints hired a new defensive coordinator this offseason — Joe Woods — but it is unclear if that move will directly lead to Moore’s summer exit.
  • The Saints made an addition to their scouting department recently, with InsidetheLeague.com’s Neil Stratton relaying (via Twitter) the team hired former Louisiana Tech staffer Ziad Qubti as their college scouting coordinator. This will be Qubti’s first NFL gig.

NFL COVID-19 List Updates: 1/1/22

Here are the New Year’s Day activations from and placements on the reserve/COVID-19 lists:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

  • Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: G Oli Udoh

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

  • Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Bryce Hall

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Falcons Sign Richie Grant

The Falcons have formally signed second-round pick Richie Grant. The safety out of UCF will earn $8.3MM on his four-year deal, including a $3.4MM signing bonus.

Atlanta inked both of its fourth-round picks on Thursday, taking care of business with center Drew Dalman and defensive back Darren Hall. Now, with Grant taken care of, first-round tight end Kyle Pitts stands as the last straggler. That shouldn’t be much of an issue for the Falcons, though the two sides may be haggling over some particulars like offset language.

The Falcons moved down from No. 35 overall to No. 40, scoring Grant and adding a fourth-round choice in the process. Grant notched 290 tackles, one sack, 17 passes defensed, ten interceptions, and five forced fumbles while on campus. At the pro level, he’ll be a part of the Falcons’ secondary reboot, with Keanu Neal, Damontae Kazee, and Ricardo Allen out of the picture.

If he’s able to pick up the playbook quickly, Grant could be the first safety off of the bench behind new starters Duron Harmon and Erik Harris.