The other shoe has dropped in the latest roster moves for the Atlanta Falcons.
The Falcons reportedly added four players to their roster with signings on May 14 and 15. In the late afternoon on May 15, the Falcons announced the signing of two more players.
Atlanta also officially announced the release of seven players to make room on the roster for the new additions.
The cuts include linebacker David Anenih, running back B.J. Baylor, cornerback Javelin Guidry, defensive back Matt Hankins and Dylan Mabin, wide receiver Ra’Shaun Henry, and tight end/fullback John Raine.
Of those seven players, Hankins had the longest stint with the Falcons. Specifically, he spent the 2022 season with Atlanta on the team’s practice squad after the team released him on August 30 as part of the roster cut down day.
The Falcons signed Hankins to a reserve/futures contract at the end of the season. General manager Terry Fontenot did the same (signing them to a futures contract at the end of the 2022-23 season) with just about all of the seven players released.
Of the seven players released on Monday, Guidry has the most NFL experience. He played 32 games with the New York Jets and Las Vegas Raiders from 2020-22. Consequently, he made five starts with the Jets from 2022-21.
With their releases, the Falcons made roster room for veteran linebackers Andre Smith and Tae Davis. They also signed wide receiver Slade Bolden over the weekend.
Then on Monday, the Falcons signed XFL standouts, safety Lukas Denis and offensive tackle Barry Wesley.
Finally, to complete this round of roster moves, the Falcons announced on May 15 that they also signed defensive backs Natrone Brooks and Clifford Chattman.
This will be the second chance for Denis and Wesley to play in the NFL. The other Falcons roster additions figure to make an impact on special teams.