Falcons work out eight at minicamp

The Falcons had eight additional players working out with the team over the weekend that were not signed to contracts. Among them were Hawaii wideout C.J. Hawthorne and Auburn safety Eric Brock, which previous reports falsely indicated had signed with the team. All of these players are vying for chances to be officially signed by the team and brought to training camp in July.

Also among them are wide receivers A.J. Bryant (Georgia), Tony Gonzalez (Boston College), and Gerald Landry (Southern), running back Chad Hall (Air Force), safety Jamal Lewis (Georgia Tech), and defensive tackle Eric Butler (Washburn).

Bryant started 1 year for the Bulldogs, his junior season where he had 14 catches for 251 yards (17.9 avg). For his career, he had 22 catches for 393 yards (17.9 avg) and 2 touchdowns. He only played in 5 games this past year due to a knee injury and had no catches.

Landry caught 158 career passes at Southern, for 2,030 yards (12.8 avg) and 20 touchdowns. He earned 2nd team All-SWAC honors each of the past two years.

Gonzalez finished his BC career a year ago with 89 career catches for 1,186 yards (13.3 avg) and 12 touchdowns. He started alongside current Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan for two seasons.

Hall led Air Force in both rushing and receiving this past year, and ranked 3rd in the nation with 2,584 all-purpose yards. He had 1,478 rushing yards and 50 receptions, and scored 16 total touchdowns this year.

Lewis was a two-year starter for Georgia Tech at strong safety, earning first team All-ACC honors as a junior. For his career, he had 171 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 4 interceptions, and 9 pass breakups.

Butler had 47 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, and 6 sacks this past year in his only year at Washburn. Previously, he played at Kansas in 2005 where he had 12 tackles and 2 sacks. He sat out the 2006 season due to an extended legal battle with the NCAA over eligibility.

Harrington re-signed

The Falcons re-signed quarterback Joey Harrington today. According to the AJC, he signed a two-year contract worth just under $4 million. NFL.com reports that it is a one-year contract worth $1 million. Harrington was released last week for salary cap purposes, and his new contract will relieve the Falcons of some of the cap burden.

UPDATE: The NFL Players Association website confirms that Harrington signed a one-year contract with a 2008 base salary of $700,000.

Falcons might bring back Harrington

The AJC is reporting that the Falcons may bring back recently released quarterback Joey Harrington if he agrees to restructure his contract. Harrington was released this past Wednesday. The Falcons currently only have two quarterbacks on the roster: Chris Redman and D.J. Shockley.

Harrington signed a two-year contract last April with the Falcons. He was slated to earn $2.5 million in base salary in 2008 and $3.875 million against the team's salary cap. If the Falcons re-sign him with a much lower base salary, it could save them money. Redman, who is currently the starter, only has a base salary of $1 million.

Harrington cut loose

The Falcons released quarterback Joey Harrington today. Last month, the Falcons also released Byron Leftwich. Harrington was signed by the Falcons last spring to replace Matt Schaub as the backup to Michael Vick. But due to Vick's legal issues, was promoted to the starting position in July.

Harrington started the first six games of the season for the Falcons, leading them to a 1-5 start before being benched. He was replaced by Leftwich for one game, but then would start four of the next five games before losing his job once more to Chris Redman. The Falcons won two more games in that four-game span. Harrington finished the season with 2215 passing yards and completed a career-high 61.8% of his 348 attempts. He threw 7 touchdowns and 8 interceptions as well.

Dunn is done in Atlanta

As expected, the Falcons released running back Warrick Dunn today. Dunn's release was prompted by the team's signing of running back Michael Turner yesterday to a six-year contract. Dunn had been one of the leaders and more visible playmakers on the Falcons since 2002, but his production dropped sharply this past season.

Dunn became the 22nd running back in NFL history to surpass 10,000 rushing yards this past season. Nearly 6,000 of those coming with the Falcons during the past six seasons. Dunn came 8 yards shy of surpassing William Andrews as the team's second all-time leading rusher with 5,979 yards. Dunn was the team's leading rusher in 5 of the last 6 seasons, earning a Pro Bowl nod in 2005 with 1416 yards, a career high. Dunn, 33, is expected to continue playing and previous reports indicate that several teams may be interested in his services.

Falcons dump Crumpler, Coleman, and others

The Falcons released seven players today in their attempts to begin the rebuilding process under new head coach Mike Smith and GM Thomas Dimitroff. Among those released were some prominent names including: defensive tackle Rod Coleman, tight end Alge Crumpler, offensive tackle Wayne Gandy, quarterback Byron Leftwich, cornerback Lewis Sanders, linebacker Marcus Wilkins, and wide receiver Jamin Elliott.

Coleman was one of the team's big free agent signings in 2004. He earned Pro Bowl honors in 2005. In four years with the Falcons, he recorded 114 tackles and 30 sacks, and was considered one of the top interior pass rushers in the league. But this past year, he missed 11 games as he nursed several injuries, and was limited to just 7 tackles and 2 sacks in five starts.

Crumpler ends seven years with the Falcons. He was originally a second round pick in 2001, and led the Falcons in receiving yards for three straight seasons (2004-06). Crumpler went to the Pro Bowl four straight years (2003-06). Over his Falcon career, he had caught 316 passes for 4212 yards and 35 touchdowns, and ranks among the top receivers in Falcons history. Last season he had 42 catches for 444 yards, which was his lowest total in yards since his rookie season. His drop in production was mainly due to injuries and increasing age.

The Falcons acquired Gandy via trade in 2006. He started 16 games that season at left tackle, but missed 11 games this past year due to a torn ACL. Gandy turned 37 this past week and was likely released due to his age.

The Falcons added Leftwich after Week 2 of the season to challenge Joey Harrington for the starting position. Leftwich's career has long been plagued by injuries, and he was unable to shake that stigma in Atlanta. He managed 2 starts this year, passing for 279 yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions.

Sanders and Wilkins were both free agent signings for the team last year. Sanders started 6 games before poor play forced him to the bench. In 14 games, he recorded 33 tackles with no interceptions. Wilkins played exclusively on special teams this year, not notching a single tackle on defense. He finished the year with only 5 tackles on special teams in 15 games. It was a marked decrease from previous production, since in his final three years with the Cincinnati Bengals, he tallied at least 16 stops on special teams.

Elliott sat out the entire year with injury, after going on injured reserve in August. He originally joined the team in 2006, and spent most of that season on their practice squad, before being activated to the roster for the final game of that season. Despite being in the league since 2002, Elliott has never had a reception and has only appeared in a total of 3 games.

Roster could see lots of turnover

The AJC's Steve Wyche reports that several Falcons veterans may not be back in 2008. Among players named by Wyche, who cites NFL officials and player agents, are safeties Lawyer Milloy and Chris Crocker, along with offensive linemen Wayne Gandy, Kynan Forney, and Todd Weiner, wide receivers Brian Finneran and Joe Horn, running back Warrick Dunn, quarterbacks Joey Harrington and Byron Leftwich, and linebacker Keith Brooking. Wyche reports that many of these players could be released as soon as Friday, February 15.

Wyche indicates that one player that could be potentially safe is tight end Alge Crumpler, who is coming off a down year. But Crumpler may be retained since it's doubtful the Falcons could add someone in the draft or free agency that could adequately replace him.

Crocker is an unrestricted free agent, and is not expected to be re-signed. The remaining players represent 10 of the team's top 15 highest-paid players based on 2008 base salary. The Falcons currently have around $6 million in cap space for the 2008 season. Dunn, Gandy, Milloy, Forney, Harrington, and Leftwich are all entering the final years on their contracts. Brooking and Finneran have two years left on their deals, while Horn and Weiner have three and four, respectively. Among them, Brooking ($4.9 million), Dunn ($4 million), Gandy ($3.5 million), and Forney ($2.95 million) have the highest 2008 base salaries.

Redman remains starter; Sanders goes to IR

Interim head coach Emmitt Thomas indicated this week that quarterback Chris Redman will remain the starter. Redman struggled last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers completing 4 of 15 passes for 34 yards with 2 interceptions. If no changes are made between now and this weekend, Redman will start his third game for the Falcons against the Arizona Cardinals.

The Falcons also placed cornerback Lewis Sanders on injured reserve on Monday. Sanders suffered a partial tear of his pectoral muscle last weekend. To replace him on the roster, the team promoted cornerback Brent Grimes from the practice squad. Grimes was promoted to the roster earlier this season, but only lasted a few days before he was released and re-signed to the practice squad.

Redman named starter vs. Saints

The Falcons named Chris Redman the starting quarterback today, making him the third quarterback to fill that position since the season started. He is expected to start Monday Night against the Saints. Redman began the year as the team's No. 2, but was quickly passed by Byron Leftwich following his signing. Redman replaced Joey Harrington in the fourth quarter of last week's loss to the St. Louis Rams and played well. He led the team on 2 scoring drives in their failed comeback.

It has yet to be determined whether Harrington or Leftwich will serve as the team's No. 2 against the Saints.

The Falcons also made two roster moves on Thursday. To fill the void left by Todd Weiner when the team placed him on injured reserve a week ago, the team signed linebacker Travis Williams from their practice squad to the roster. Williams had spent several weeks earlier in the year on the roster, but was released in November when the team was forced to address depth at tight end. In 3 appearances, he recorded 3 tackles on special teams.

Leffew originally signed with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent out of Louisville in 2006. He was released by the Bears at the end of the summer and was picked up by the Green Bay Packers on their practice squad. The Dallas Cowboys signed him off the Packers practice squad prior to Week 12, and he spent the next 3 weeks on their roster but inactive on gamedays. He was later cut by the Cowboys and finished the year on the Packers practice squad. He went to training camp with the Packers this past summer, but was released on September 1. Leffew was a four-year starter at left tackle while at Louisville. He joins ex-teammate Kurt Quarterman on the team's practice squad. Renardo Foster, another ex-teammate is currently on injured reserve.

Coleman and Lewis go on IR

The Falcons were dealt a severe blow at defensive tackle on Tuesday when they placed both starters Rod Coleman and Trey Lewis on injured reserve. To improve depth, the Falcons signed defensive tackle Jesse Mahelona, promoted defensive end Kevin Huntley from the practice squad, and re-signed end Derrick Jones to the practice squad.

Both Coleman and Lewis suffered their injuries this past weekend against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Coleman injured his triceps and hand on his right arm, while Lewis suffered a severe right knee injury. Depth was already a concern at the position after the release of starter Grady Jackson three weeks ago. After Jackson's release, Lewis was promoted permanently as the starter at nose tackle. Coleman only returned from injury just five weeks ago.

Jonathan Babineaux and Montavious Stanley are expected to replace Coleman and Lewis, respectively. Babineaux started the first few games of the season in place of Coleman at the undertackle position. Stanley has gotten extensive playing time as the reserve nose tackle much of the season and now will be counted on to start. The team added free agent Tim Anderson a few weeks ago. He's been inactive thus far, but will likely be counted on to have a much bigger role in the ensuing games.

Mahelona was a fifth round pick of the Tennessee Titans a year ago. Last season as a reserve with the Titans, he recorded 11 tackles and 1 sacks in 10 games. He was released by the Titans after being inactive for Week 1 this season, and joined the Miami Dolphins in October. He was inactive for a single game before the Dolphins released him.

Huntley has been off and on the Falcons practice squad several teams thus far this year. He was originally signed on September 12 and then released on October 9. He was re-signed on October 29. Jones originally joined the team's practice squad on October 17, but was released two weeks ago.

Falcons make roster moves

One Falcon rookie will have his season begin, while another one will have his season end. The Falcons promoted running back Jason Snelling from the practice squad, and also placed tight end Martrez Milner on injured reserve. Snelling was the team's seventh round pick this past April, while Milner was selected in the fourth round. Snelling had spent the first ten weeks of the season on the team's practice squad after leading the team in rushing during the preseason. Milner had played primarily as a reserve, but had seen substantial playing time throughout the season due to injuries to Dwayne Blakley and Alge Crumpler. He finishes the season with 9 catches for 50 yards. To make room for Snelling, the team released linebacker Travis Williams. Replacing Milner will be tight end Courtney Anderson.

In four preseason games, Snelling had 41 carries for 174 yards (4.2 avg) and also caught 7 passes for 35 yards (5.0 avg). His preseason performance however was not enough to earn him a roster spot, as the team decided to go with a more experienced running back in Artose Pinner. Due to the recent injury to Jerious Norwood, and the struggles of Pinner as a situational runner, the team is expected to give Snelling a long look in short yardage situations.

Williams was promoted to the active roster from the practice squad a month ago. In three games he appeared in, he recorded 3 stops on special teams.

Anderson appeared in 2 games this season with the Detroit Lions. He was waived by the Miami Dolphins at the end of training camp, after being released by the Oakland Raiders at the end of July. He started 28 games for the Raiders over the past three seasons, catching 62 passes for 763 yards (12.3 avg) and 6 touchdowns. He was originally a 7th round pick out of San Jose State in 2004.

Falcons add DT Anderson

Due to the recent knee injury to backup nose tackle Montavious Stanley, the Falcons signed free agent defensive tackle Tim Anderson. To make room for Anderson, the Falcons released cornerback Brent Grimes, who was promoted from the practice squad to the active roster on Monday. Stanley's injury is ironic considering the Falcons released starting defensive tackle Grady Jackson last week. The team reasoned that Jackson's release was necessary due to the improved health of defensive tackles Rod Coleman and Jonathan Babineaux in recent weeks. Jackson signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars this week.

Anderson appeared in 4 games with the Buffalo Bills this year before being released on October 20. He recorded 3 tackles in his time in Buffalo. He was originally a third round pick out of Ohio State in 2004. In 2005, he was the Bills' regular starter, making 12 starts and finishing the season with 42 tackles and 1 sack. Last season, he lost his starting job to Kyle Williams, but still managed 5 starts and 32 tackles on the year. Reports this spring had the Bills putting Anderson, who was a restricted free agent, on the trading block.

Grimes spot on the practice squad was taken by defensive end Kevin Huntley. Huntley was re-signed after spending 4 weeks on the practice squad earlier in the regular season. It is unknown if the Falcons will release Huntley for a second time to make room for Grimes. The Falcons have yet to specify how long they expect Stanley to be out of commission.

Falcons dump Grady

The AJC's Steve Wyche reports that the Falcons released starting nose tackle Grady Jackson today. No specific reasons were given why Jackson was released. The team plans to promote rookie Trey Lewis into the starting lineup.

Lewis has started two games opposite Jackson in relief of injured starter Rod Coleman and his replacement Jonathan Babineaux so far this season. Coleman returned to the lineup against the New York Giants. Lewis has played well, tallying 15 tackles and an interception in six games this year.

Jackson was embroiled in some off-season controversy involving a lawsuit filed against the Falcons. But it was resolved and Jackson received a one-year contract extension. It is unknown if this roster move stems from that or from something else more recent involving Jackson.

Foster out for season

Updating previous reports, Renardo Foster is the second Falcons left tackle to land himself on the injured reserve, meaning that he will no longer suit up for the team this season. Foster tore his left ACL on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints. That is the same injury that Wayne Gandy suffered two weeks ago against the Tennessee Titans, which also landed him on injured reserve.

The Falcons plan to start Quinn Ojinnaka at left tackle in two weeks when they host the San Francisco 49ers. The team has a bye this week. To fill Foster's spot on the roster, the team signed ex-Buffalo Bills tackle Terrance Pennington.

Pennington, a 7th round pick out of New Mexico for the Bills last season, started 9 games at right tackle in 2006. He was released by the Bills at the end of training camp, having lost his job to free agent Langston Walker.

In other Falcons news, the AJC reports that the Falcons worked out free agent defensive Quentin Moses on Tuesday. Moses was released last week by the Arizona Cardinals, after being cut by the Oakland Raiders during the summer. Moses was drafted in the third round by the Raiders this past April. He worked out with the Kansas City Chiefs last Friday, and according to the AJC has another one scheduled with the Miami Dolphins today.

Moses likely is a candidate for the Falcons practice squad. The team added defensive end Derrick Jones last week. Jones was an undrafted rookie free agent with the Pittsburgh Steelers this past summer, but was released by the Steelers at the end of the summer. The team also signed ex-Raiders end Kevin Huntley earlier in the season to the practice squad. The Falcons recently parted ways with defensive end Josh Mallard, which leaves the team with only three players at that position, creating some depth issues.

Gandy goes on IR

The Falcons placed injured offensvie tackle Wayne Gandy on injured reserve today. He suffered a torn ACL in Sunday's matchup against the Titans. To fill his spot on the roster, the team promoted Renardo Foster to the starting lineup, and signed Harvey Dahl off the San Francisco 49ers practice squad.

Gandy's injury came on the Falcons final drive, and he was carted off the field as he was unable to leave under his own power. Foster entered the game and was immediately called for holding on what would amount to be the Falcons last chance at tying up the game. Foster filled in for Gandy during the Jaguars game in Week 2, and was also flagged for holding late in that game as the Falcons attempted to tie up the game on their final drive.

Next week, Foster is set to face Pro Bowl defensive end Osi Umenyiora, who tallied six sacks two weeks ago against the Philadelphia Eagles, going up against second-year player Winston Justice who was an injury replacement for William Thomas.

This injury, although not career-threatening could potentially and effectively end the career of 36-year old Gandy. As he was being carted off on the field on Sunday, there were tears in Gandy's eyes.

Dahl was originally an undrafted free agent out of Nevada-Reno in 2005 with the Dallas Cowboys. He never went to camp with the Cowboys, but was picked up by the San Francisco 49ers. He spent most of the '05 season on their practice squad, although he was inactive on their 53-man roster for the final two games that season. The following spring, he played with the Rhein Fire in NFL Europe. In 2006, he played in 4 games with the 49ers mostly on special teams. He was cut this past summer by the 49ers, but spent the first five weeks on their practice squad.

The team also announced that defensive end Kevin Huntley was released from the practice squad. He was added prior to Week 2 of this year.

Falcons sign Pro Bowl snapper

The Falcons announced today the signing of long snapper Mike Schneck, formerly of the Buffalo Bills. The team released snapper Boone Stutz.

Schneck is an eight-year veteran snapper in the NFL, spending the past two years with the Bills after six with the Steelers. He joined the Steelers in 1999 as an unrafted rookie out of Wisconsin. He was cut by the Steelers following training camp in 2005, and then joined the Bills. He earned a Pro Bowl bid that season in Buffalo, but was released this past summer after the Bills decided to go in a different direction.

Stutz was an undrafted rookie last year, originally starting with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But he was released in July and picked up by the Falcons. He wound up winning the snapping job from Derek Rackley, who had been the team's snapper for the previous six seasons.

This marks the third major change the Falcons have made on special teams so far this season. Return specialist Allen Rossum was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers just a few days before the start of the regular season, being replaced by Adam Jennings. Veteran kicker Morten Andersen was signed after Matt Prater struggled during the first two games of the season.

Mort is back once more

NFL Network's Adam Schefter reports that the Falcons have come to terms with free agent kicker Morten Andersen. Andersen served as the team's replacement kicker after a rocky start for Michael Koenen last season. This season, new kicker Matt Prater has missed three of four field goal attempts through the first two games, including a 26-yarder on Sunday against the Jaguars.

Last season, Andersen connected on 20 of 23 field goal attempts in his bid to become the league's all-time leading scorer.

Due to his age and lessening leg strength, the Falcons utilized Koenen, the team's punter, on field goals of longer than 45 yards. It is unknown if that will be the case this season. Although it is likely that Koenen will return to kickoff duties, something that Prater had been handling this season.

It is not yet known if the Falcons released Prater to make room for Andersen.

The AJC had previously reported that the team had contacted the agent of kicker Billy Cundiff on Monday. Cundiff was released prior to the final preseason game in order for the team to make way for Prater.

UPDATE: The Falcons did release Matt Prater in order to make room on the roster for Andersen.

Coleman undergoes knee surgery

Today defensive tackle Rod Coleman underwent a procedure to repair damage in his left knee. Coleman could miss up to four games. He is currently recovering from a torn quadriceps suffered this past April, and was not expected to play this upcoming weekend against the Vikings. This additional procedure is just a minor setback.

Jonathan Babineaux is slated to start instead of Coleman this week.

The Falcons also announced that quarterback Casey Bramlet was promoted to the active roster from the practice squad. Remi Ayodele was released in order to make room for him.

Falcons add seven to practice squad

The Falcons announced more roster moves on Monday, including adding seven players to their practice squad. The team claimed two free agents as well, and made room by cutting two players. The players added were offensive tackle D'Anthony Batiste and running back Artose Pinner. Making room for them was linebacker Jordan Beck and running back Jason Snelling. The seven players added to the practice squad were quarterback Casey Bramlet, tight end George Cooper, cornerback Brent Grimes, offensive guard Kurt Quarterman, wide receivers Todd Watkins and Eric Weems, and linebacker Travis Williams.

Batiste was with the Carolina Panthers this past summer, after spending time with both the Panthers and on the Dallas Cowboys practice squad in 2006. Originally out of Louisiana-Lafayette, he played in both af2 and CFL prior to entering the NFL last season.

Pinner was a fourth round pick in 2003 by the Detroit Lions. He spent three seasons with the Lions before being released last year and was picked up by the Minnesota Vikings. For his career, he's appeared in 40 games, starting 7 of them. He has 812 rushing yards on 245 carries (3.3 avg) with 8 touchdowns and 39 receptions.

Snelling led the Falcons in rushing this preseason after being a seventh round pick this past April. Beck was a third round pick of the team in 2005, but fell behind undrafted rookie Tony Taylor on the depth chart this summer.

Six of the practice squad players were released by the Falcons over the weekend. The lone newcomer, Watkins, was a seventh round pick out of BYU last year for the Arizona Cardinals.

The league allows up to eight players being on a team's practice squad. That last spot may go to Snelling, who impressed this summer, if he is able to clear waivers.

Falcons claim DT Ayodele

The Falcons claimed defensive tackle Remi Ayodele off waivers from the Dallas Cowboys. Ayodele is a first-year player out of Oklahoma, that originally entered the league as an undrafted rookie in 2006 with the New England Patriots. He spent two weeks on the Cowboys practice squad last November and spent this past spring with the Frankfurt Galaxy in NFL Europa.

The Falcons had an open roster spot due to the trading of Allen Rossum to the Pittsburgh Steelers. ESPN's John Clayton reports that it was in exchange for a conditional seventh round choice in 2008.

Much speculation has been that the open roster spot would be used on a quarterback. Clayton reports that the Falcons have shown only moderate interest in free agent quarterback Byron Leftwich, recently released from the Jacksonville Jaguars. Clayton also reports that the Falcons could have targetted Tampa Bay Bucs passer Chris Simms had he been released yesterday. The team certainly can still add a third quarterback, it would now just require them to release a player on the roster.

Falcons trade Rossum to Steelers

The Falcons traded cornerback/return specialist Allen Rossum to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a conditional 2008 draft pick. The condition is likely dependent on Rossum being on the Steelers roster on opening day.

Rossum has spent the past five seasons with the Falcons and is the team's all-time leader in both kickoff and punt return yards. He has averaged 11.0 and 22.0 yards on punt and kickoff returns, respectively as a Falcon, contributing a total of 3 scores. He also has 7 games defensively, recording 67 tackles, 1 sack, and 2 interceptions in that span.

This trade leaves the Falcons with one roster position to fill before the start of the regular season next Sunday.

Falcons cut 22

The Falcons announced the release of 22 players to finalize their roster down the league mandate of 53 players. Among them, the most stunning of moves was the release of kicker Billy Cundiff. He will be replaced by Matt Prater, a first-year player that was signed only a few days ago. Prater however shined against the Ravens on Friday night, making two of three field goal attempts, and putting three of his four kickoffs in the endzone. The Falcons also released tight end Daniel Fells, center P.J. Alexander, tackle Frank Omiyale, defensive end Paul Carrington, defensive tackles T.J. Jackson and Darell Shropshire, and linebacker John Leake, all players that were holdovers from last year. Quarterback Casey Bramlet was also released, leaving the team with only two quarterbacks on the roster, opening speculation that another will be added in the coming days.

Among the other cuts were: running backs Arlen Harris and Justin Vincent, receivers Otis Amey, Noriaki Kinoshita, Vincent Marshall, and Eric Weems, tight end George Cooper, offensive linemen Bo Lacy and Kurt Quarterman, defensive end Nic Clemons, linebacker Travis Williams, and cornerbacks Tony Franklin and Brent Grimes.

None of the eleven players among the Falcons 2007 draft class was released, although center Doug Datish is currently on injured reserve. Offensive tackle Renardo Foster and linebacker Tony Taylor are the lone undrafted rookie free agents that made the roster.

The Falcons will have to establish an eight-man practice squad tomorrow. Many of those players added to the practice squad will likely be among the twenty players released today.

Falcons trim roster to 75

The Falcons made nine roster moves this afternoon to get under the league's mandatory limit of 75 players. The Falcons will make more moves in the coming week, as the team will have to get down to 53 players come next Saturday and establish an eight-man practice squad.

The most notable of the moves may have been the claiming of defensive tackle Montavious Stanley off waivers from the Cowboys. Stanley played for Petrino at Louisville, and was a sixth round draft choice by the Cowboys last season. Last season after being released by the COwboys during training camp, spent a week on the St. Louis Rams practice squad before being signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars. In three games with the Jaguars, he recorded 4 tackles, 0.5 sacks, and 1 forced fumble. He was re-signed by the Cowboys later on in the year and spent the final 4 weeks and a playoff game on their inactive list.

The team placed safety Omare Lowe on injured reserve, who suffered a knee injury early in camp. The team also waived/injured safety Nick Turnbull. If he clears waivers, he will land on the injured reserve list as well.

Five players were released including punter Adam Anderson, defensive tackles Michael Bozeman and Kelly Talavou, safety Jeramie Johnson, and wide receiver Ben Nelson.

Falcons put Datish on IR

Although previous reports suggested that Doug Datish would only miss a limited amount of time due to a broken wrist, the Falcons ultimately decided to shut him down for the entire season by placing him on injured reserve. The team also opted to preemptively waive guard Toniu Fonoti, due to the fact that the team likes what they have seen from rookie guard Justin Blalock thus far.

Replacing the pair of offensive linemen on the roster will be former LSU center Ben Wilkerson and cornerback Tony Franklin.

Wilkerson was originally signed by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2005 as an undrafted free agent. He missed his rookie year due to a knee injury suffered during his senior year at LSU. He spent most of last year on the Bengals practice squad, but did spend the final six weeks on the team's roster, playing in three games. The Bengals waived him this past June.

Franklin is an undrafted free agent who signed with the Kansas City Chiefs this past May. He was cut on July 25. Franklin had several off-field issues in his four years at Virginia. He was dismissed by the team last spring following serving two suspensions as a junior due to an arrest involving marijuana and violating team rules. He split his time at safety and cornerback while with the Cavaliers, finishing his career with 208 tackles, 6 interceptions, and 12 pass breakups. He also returned 25 kickoffs for an average of 24.4 yards during his collegiate career.

Falcons sign Blalock and QB

As an update to previous reports, the Falcons did come to terms with second round draft pick Justin Blalock on Thursday. Blalock agreed to a five-year deal. Blalock began his Falcon career on Friday taking snaps with the first team at left guard, where he will be attempting to hold off Toniu Fonoti for the starting role.

Also the Falcons signed free agent QB Lang Campbell. Campbell will fill the role of fourth quarterback during training camp as the Falcons are without Michael Vick for an indefinite amount of time.

Campbell most recently spent time with the Austin Wranglers of the Arena Football League this past spring, passing for 2279 yards and 41 touchdowns. Prior to that he played with the Berlin Thunder in NFL Europe the previous spring. He has spent the past two training camps with the Cleveland Browns, but has failed to make the roster each time. He spent the final week of the 2006 season inactive as the Browns third quarterback.

He was an undrafted rookie in 2005 out of William & Mary, where he won the Walter Payton Award as a senior, given annually to the top player in Division I-AA football.

Falcons to sign another QB

Falcons head coach Bobby Petrino indicated in yesterday's press conference that the Falcons would be in the market to sign another quarterback in the coming days due to the absence of Michael Vick, who has been ordered by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to stay away from camp.

Petrino said that a fourth passer is necessary in order for the team to go through all its camp drills. Who they would sign is unknown at this time, but there have been rumors per Pro Football Talk.com, that recently released quarterback Daunte Culpepper might show up on the Falcons radar.

Also, the Falcons had James Kilian earlier this off-season, but he was released in April in order to make room for Joey Harrington on the roster.

Falcons dump six

The Falcons released six players following their three-day minicamp on Monday. Among the six were two undrafted rookies in P Gordon Ely-Kelso and S Allyn Bacchus. Also released were DT Anthony Bryant, C Brian Ferentz, CB Derrick Johnson, and C Jason Palermo.

Bryant was claimed off waivers from the Detroit Lions at the end of March, in hopes that he would shore up depth at nose tackle. But with the draft selection of Trey Lewis in the sixth round, and the increasing hopes that Grady Jackson will be with the team this season, Bryant's value to the team lessened.

Falcons add Jordan

The Falcons added more help to their offensive line today by signing free agent Leander Jordan. Jordan missed the entire 2006 season with a neck stinger suffered during the preseason last year with the San Diego Chargers. He will add depth for the Falcons up front and potentially compete for a starting job.

In 2005, Jordan started 9 games for the Chargers, including 8 at left tackle as a replacement for injured Roman Oben. His other start came as a replacement for right tackle Shane Olivea in Week 6. Jordan has played several positions, and has experience at both guard and tackle positions, making him an ideal utility player up front. He has appeared in 37 games over his 7-year career and has started a total of 14 of them. He was originally a 3rd round pick of the Carolina Panthers in 2000 out of Indiana (PA).

Jordan adds depth to the Falcons offensive line, and could potentially compete for the vacant left guard position. Currently rookie Justin Blalock and fellow free agent signing Toniu Fonoti are slated to compete for that position.

Falcons release Beverly

The Falcons cut tight end Eric Beverly today. The move is not seen as unexpected due to the team's drafting of tight end Martrez Milner a weekend ago and that head coach Bobby Petrino has praised backup Daniel Fells.

Beverly originally came to the Falcons in 2004 to take over the left guard position, having split time at that position and center during a six-year NFL career mostly with the Detroit Lions. But an early summer injury allowed Mookie Moore to emerge in his absence as the primary candidate for that position. Upon the commencement of training camp, Beverly was moved to tight end, a position he played for three seasons at Miami of Ohio. Moore was injured early in the regular season, and Roberto Garza filled in at left guard for the remainder of the year. But when the Falcons signed free agent Matt Lehr the following spring, it ended any notions that Beverly would move back to the offensive line in Atlanta.

Beverly served exclusively as a blocking tight end, complementing the receiving skills of Pro Bowler Alge Crumpler off the bench. He did catch 1 pass this past season, but for 0 yards. Beverly's role often functioned as a "third tackle" on the offensive line. But seemingly, in Petrino's new offensive system, the need for such a niche is lessened.

Petrino praised Daniel Fells earlier this off-season in team workouts, and seems intent on incorporating a greater use of the H-back position than under Knapp. In March, reports of Fells's increased involvement in the offense put writing on the wall that Beverly's job security had lessened. The selection of Milner in the fourth round, considered one of the better blockers among this year's tight end class provided the proverbial nail in the coffin for Beverly.

Falcons add 2 more free agents

The Falcons signed two additional undrafted free agents today in Villanova safety Allyn Bacchus and North Carolina tight end Jon Hamlett.

Bacchus (6' 210) was a four-year starter at Villanova. The past two years he had his most productive seasons combining for 221 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions, 9 pass brekaups, 3 fumble recoveries, 3 forced fumbles, and a sack.

Hamlett (6'4" 262) was a two-year starter, catching a total of 51 passes for 562 yards (11.0 avg) and 4 touchdowns during his Tar Heel career.

To make room for the two undrafted free agents, the Falcons released center Ben Claxton, cornerback Kevin Hobbs, and running back Butchie Wallace.

Falcons release Mathis

The Falcons released cornerback Kevin Mathis after he failed his physical on Monday. Mathis was sidelined last season with a broken neck suffered during Week 9 against the Detroit Lions. It was the second major injury for Mathis in the past two seasons, after suffering a knee injury prior to Week 2 in 2005. He is expected to retire.

Last season Mathis appeared in 8 games, recording 20 tackles, 1 sack, and 1 forced fumble, as a reserve at both safety and cornerback. Mathis has spent the past five seasons with the Falcons. Over that span, he has started 14 games, and appeared in 48, with 6 interceptions, 3 of which he returned for touchdowns.

Mathis was ejected prior to the start of the Falcons 2005 season opener, after getting into a fight with Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Jeremiah Trotter at midfield during warm-ups. He suffered a knee injury the following week in practice. Mathis's neck injury from 2006 marks the second one of his career. He suffered a neck stinger in 2001, his final year with the New Orleans Saints.

Mathis began his career as an undrafted free agent with the Dallas Cowboys in 1997. Over his career, he has appeared in 115 games, starting 54 of them, and has 11 interceptions, 345 tackles, and 4 sacks.

Falcons claim Bryant

The Falcons signed defensvie tackle Anthony Bryant, claiming him off waivers. He was released by the Detroit Lions on Monday. Bryant appeared in four games last season, starting the final three for the Lions at nose tackle due to injuries. He finished the season with 8 tackles and 1 fumble recovery.

The massive 337-pounder was sixth round pick of the Tampa Bay Bucs in 2005. He played in four games with the Bucs as a rookie before being released prior to the start of the 2006 season. He spent half the season on the Bucs practice squad before being signed by the Lions late in the year.

This move may mean the end of the teams attempts to bolster the nose tackle position. The team had been in talks with free agents Ian Scott and Seth Payne, but seemingly broke off talks this past weekend. Bryant is expected compete with Tommy Jackson and Darrell Shropshire for a backup position behind Grady Jackson this upcoming summer.

Falcons sign kicker

The Falcons signed free agent kicker Aaron Elling. Elling's addition may mean the end of Morten Andersen's brief comeback to the NFL.

Elling has not been successful on a field goal attempt since the season opener in 2004. He was released by the Ravens this past summer. His last stint in the league was in 2005 with the Ravens, where he served primarily as their kickoff specialist. He had a single field goal attempt that season, missing a 54-yard attempt.

Elling's most extensive experience came in 2003 with the Minnesota Vikings. He connected on 18 of 25 field goals (72%) that season, finishing with 102 points. Over his career, Elling has kicked off 148 times, averaging 61.6 yards per kick, with 3 touchbacks. He also has experience as a punter. He has punted the ball a total of 7 times for 304 yards (43.4 avg) with 2 placed inside the 20-yard line.

He originally entered the league in 2001 as an undrafted free agent with the Miami Dolphins. He failed to catch on in Miami, as well as with the Seahawks the following summer before finally landing in Minnesota in 2003.

Currently, the Falcons are without a kicker on their roster. With Elling signed, the Falcons won't be pressured to add a kicker in the draft, but it's likely they will bring in some competition for him.

Falcons sign Redman

NFL.com's Adam Schefter reports that the Falcons agreed to a one-year deal with former Baltimore Ravens quarterback Chris Redman.

Redman, 29, was a third round pick by the Ravens in 2000. He struggled with injuries through four years with that team. During his tenure, he started 6 of 10 games, passing for 1111 yards, completing 53.5% of his 198 attempts, and throwing 7 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. He has a career passer rating of 71.3. He began the 2002 as the Ravens starter, before being replaced near midseason by Jeff Blake due to a back injury.

Redman's last stint in the league was in the summer of 2005 with the Tennessee Titans.

This is not the first time the Falcons have pursued Redman, as they sought him back in 2004 to potentially serve as a No. 3 to Michael Vick and Ty Detmer. However, any pursuit of Redman ended when the team decided to draft Matt Schaub.

Redman adds valuable experience, due to his time at Louisville where he played under Falcons coach Bobby Petrino in 1998. That season he passed for over 4000 yards and 29 touchdowns.

Falcons bulk up OL with Fonoti

The Falcons signed Miami Dolphins offensive guard Toniu Fonoti to a one-year contract according to Scout.com's Adam Caplan.

Fonoti, listed at 6'4" 350 pounds is a massive interior blocker that will likely have the chance to earn a starting position with the Falcons at left guard. The Falcons released the incumbent starter, Matt Lehr, more than a week ago.

After a promising start to his career in 2002 where he started 14 games for the San Diego Chargers as a second round pick, injuries and weight concerns have hampered Fonoti since. He missed the entire 2003 with a foot injury. He came back to start every game for the Chargers in 2004, but was traded the Vikings midway through the 2005 season. He managed only 3 starts in Minnesota before a groin injury sidelined him for the remainder of the year. He failed to make the Tampa Bay Buccaneers roster last summer, but was picked up by the Dolphins in November and appeared in six games.

Reportedly, Fonoti's weight ballooned up to over 400 pounds last spring with the Buccaneers, but he managed to bring the weight down to 370 by the start of training camp. Previously, he had signed with the Oakland Raiders, but had failed his physical due to his excessive weight, freeing him up to sign with the Buccaneers.

Falcons come to terms with Horn

It's official, the Falcons have agreed to a deal with free agent receiver Joe Horn, according to AJC writer Steve Wyche. It was reported earlier Wednesday afternoon by ESPN, but denied by Falcons officials.

Terms of Horn's contract are not yet known, although Wyche reports it is believed to be at least three years long with guarantees worth around $2 million. That would mean the deal could be sim