Falcons sign Douglas and veteran safety

The Falcons signed third round pick wide receiver Harry Douglas on Friday as well as free agent safety Deke Cooper. Douglas is the seventh rookie draft pick to sign with the team.

Douglas was a highly productive player at Louisville. He caught a total of 173 passes for 2,924 yards and 15 touchdowns while there as a two-year starter. He was most productive as a senior, catching 71 passes for 1,159 yards (16.3 avg) and 7 scores. He is expected to compete for playing time as the team's No. 3 or No. 4 wide receiver this season.

Cooper started 15 games for the Carolina Panthers last season at free safety. He finished with 59 tackles and 3 interceptions. The six-year veteran spent years with the 49ers and Jaguars before joining the Panthers last year. The Falcons released safety Jimmy Williams earlier this week, and Cooper's signing indicates that the team is still unsure about its young and unproven safety depth.

The team also released offensive linemen Mike Butterworth and Kurt Quarterman, defensive end Derrick Jones, and safety Jamal Lewis. Both Butterworth and Lewis were undrafted rookies the team signed this off-season. Quarterman and Jones spent last year with the team on both the practice squad and briefly on the active roster.

More rookies could sign soon

According to the Sports Xchange team report, the Falcons are close to signing two more draft picks: second round linebacker Curtis Lofton and sixth round running back Thomas Brown. The Falcons already have signed four of their draft picks, more than other teams except the Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins.

The AJC reports that with two fellow third rounders signed, wide receiver Harry Douglas could also be close to signing as well.

The Falcons have eleven total draft picks.

Falcons draft Douglas

With their second third round pick, acquired from the Washington Redskins, the Falcons took Louisville wide receiver Harry Douglas. Douglas was the primary receiver for Brian Brohm at Louisville, catching 141 passes for 2,424 yards and 13 touchdowns the past two seasons.

The addition of Douglas could potentially push veterans Joe Horn or Brian Finneran off the roster.