Atlanta Falcons announce surprise roster move before start of offseason

The Atlanta Falcons just announced a move that many expected them to do, they just did it sooner than anticipated. According to NFL network’s Ian Rapoport, the Falcons have released pass rusher, Dante Fowler Jr., in a post on Twitter, Rapoport breaks down Atlanta’s reason for the move.

“ The #Falcons released Dante Fowler a bit early, as his 2022 season was voided after the last restructure. So he’s free before the league year.”

The former third overall pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2015 draft signed a three-year $48 million contract with the Falcons back in 2020. However, this move by Atlanta cuts his time with them a year short. Over the last two seasons with the Falcons, Fowler has played in 28 of the 32 possible games. But his production has not been up to the same level as once was with the Jaguars or at his second stop with the Los Angeles Rams.

Fowler was a monster rushing opposing quarterbacks for the Florida Gators. In his final year with the Gators, he recorded 60 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles. That performance was good enough to land him All-SEC honors and a top-five selection in the 2015 NFL draft.

Falcons owner on Calvin Ridley

The Atlanta Falcons are still in a holding pattern with wide receiver Calvin Ridley. Since the star’s departure from football for mental health reasons in October, there haven’t been any concrete updates on his return to the team. If the Falcons are making progress behind the scenes this offseason, they aren’t publicizing that progress.

Falcons owner Arthur Blank spoke to Atlanta beat reporters about the latest with the former Alabama standout.

“We love the young man,” Blank said. “He has had a great history in Atlanta. We’d love him to stay in Atlanta. Whether or not he wants to do that — he may decide that he wants a fresh start someplace else. We don’t know that. I don’t know that. I don’t have information to indicate that, but we’ll see how that plays out.

“We’ve been totally supportive in every way that we can be, both emotionally and financially in working with him as well as his agent. We’ll see, but I’m mostly concerned about him as a human being.”

The Falcons selected Calvin Ridley at No. 26 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft. He is under contract for one more season with Atlanta but it’s unclear whether or not he wants to stay for 2022.

General manager Terry Fontenot addressed Ridley’s absence in the team’s postseason press conference. Atlanta went 7-10 this season without him.

“As an organization, we’ve done the best job we could just to support Calvin and do everything we can for him,” Fontenot said. “Really up to this point nothing has changed.”

Ridley burst onto the scene in 2020 with 90 catches for 1,374 yards and nine touchdowns. Prior to stepping away from the team, he posted 282 yards receiving and two touchdowns this year.