1. The no-spin zone: We’ll get back to Mock Draft 2.0 next week.
The more pressing matter is if Jacksonville is acting in “good faith” in their attempt to re-sign wide receiver Calvin Ridley, who reportedly has an offer from the Patriots.
Per the terms of their trade with the Falcons, if the Jaguars re-sign him by 4 p.m. Wednesday, the Falcons will receive a conditional second-round pick (48th overall).
If Jaguars re-sign him at 4:01 p.m., the conditional pick turns into a third-round pick (79th overall).
“We’re not real concerned with that, whether it’s a second or third round,” Jacksonville general manager Trent Baalke said at the NFL Scouting Combine. “We’re just going to work with the player and see if we can come to an agreement. Whether that’s before the compensation changes or not, that remains to be seen. We’re more focused on the player.”
Either way, the Falcons hold four picks in the top 100 of the NFL draft, which is set for April 25-27. Overall, the Falcons hold eight picks in the draft, according to the official list released by the league Saturday.
The Falcons conditional situation stems from the Ridley trade in 2022.
Here are the Falcons picks in the draft:
Round (pick number)
First (8)
Second (43)
Third (74, 79*)
Fourth (108)
Fifth (142)
Sixth (186, 196)
*Would become Round 2 (48) if Jaguars re-sign Calvin Ridley.
2. Walsh’ Diversity fellowship program: The NFL is currently accepting applications for the Bill Walsh Diversity coaching fellowship, which allows aspiring coaches an opportunity to gain exposure to team training camps and offseason workout programs. The deadline to apply is June 14.
3. Tight end added: Tight end Charlie Woerner, who played at Rabun County High School and the University of Georgia, agreed to a three-year, $12 million deal with the Falcons, according to his agent.
The signing can become official at 4 p.m. Wednesday, when the league year officially begins.
Woener was drafted in the sixth round (190th) overall in 2020 by San Francisco. He played in 65 games and made seven starts for the 49ers, and also played in nine playoff games (starting one).
He is the nephew of College Football Hall of Fame defensive back Scott Woerner, who helped the Bulldogs win a national title in 1980 and was a third-round pick by the Falcons in 1981.
Charlie Woerner’s final season at Georgia was 2019, and he was part of a senior class that won 44 games, tied for most in school history at the time.
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter
4. Wide receiver added: The Falcons will sign former Bears wide receiver Darnell Mooney to a three-year contract worth $39 million, including $26 million fully guaranteed.
Mooney, 26, played four seasons with the Bears after they selected him in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL draft out of Tulane. He has caught 213 passes on 360 targets while playing in 60 games (49 starts). Mooney recorded 2,593 yards receiving (12.2 per catch) and 11 touchdown passes.
Last season, he caught 31 of 61 targets (50.8% catch percentage) and picked up 20 first downs.
Drake London (46), Kyle Pitts (35), Jonnu Smith (26) and Bijan Robinson (24) were the Falcons receivers who had more than 20 first downs receiving.
5. Players elsewhere: Former starting center Matt Hennessy agreed to a one-year deal with the Eagles, and cornerback Jeff Okudah, who played the 2023 season with the Falcons, agreed to a one-year deal with the Texans on Monday, according to his Atlanta-based agent Kevin Conner.
Okudah’s deal is worth $6 million, with $2.5 million guaranteed.
The Falcons had hoped to pair Okudah with A.J. Terrell at cornerback when they acquired him in a trade before last season. Okudah got a solid shot by the Falcons last season, but the defensive coaches moved away from the former No. 3 overall pick in 2020 for rookie Clark Phillips III late in the season.
Okudah played in 13 games and made nine starts last season. He played sparingly over the last five games as the team moved to Phillips. He had 44 tackles, three tackles for loss and three pass breakups.
Phillips, who was drafted in the fourth round out of Utah, came on strong down the stretch. He started the final five games. Quarterbacks had an 88.3 passer rating when throwing at Phillips.
The Falcons moved on from Smith, who was released during the NFL combine.
Smith, who was coming off career highs in catches (50) and receiving yards (582), signed a two-year, $10-mllion deal with the Dolphins.
In addition to Okudah, defensive end Calais Campbell and outside linebacker Bud Dupree were the most productive players last season who are headed for free agency. Campbell and Dupree had 6.5 sacks each, accounting for 31% of the Falcons sacks (13 of 42).
Running back/kick returner Cordarrelle Patterson had a down year. He’s projected market value is one year, $2.5 million.
Other prospective free agents include: wide receiver Mack Hollins, fullback Keith Smith, wide receiver Van Jefferson, defensive tackle Kentavious Street, wide receiver Scotty Miller, cornerback Tre Flowers, tight end MyCole Pruitt, wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge, defensive end Joe Gaziano and quarterback Logan Woodside.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
6. NFL calendar: The league’s new business year is set to start at 4 p.m. today.
7. Falcons’ 2024 opponents: The Falcons, who finished at 7-10 and in third place in the NFC South, are set to play the NFC East and AFC West during the 2024 season.
The home games include: Tampa Bay, New Orleans, Carolina, Dallas, New York Giants, Los Angles Chargers, Kansas City, Seattle and Pittsburgh.
The away games include: Tampa Bay, New Orleans, Carolina, Philadelphia, Washington, Las Vegas, Denver and Minnesota.
Yes, Kirk Cousins returning to Minnesota is a candidate to be a nationally televised game.
8. Quan’tez Stiggers’ Pro Day set: Former Canadian Football League rookie of the year Qwan’tez Stiggers will have his Pro Day at B.E.S.T Academy in Atlanta at 3:30 p.m. Friday.
A lot has happened since we did a feature on Stiggers in December. He was invited to the East-West Shrine game and clearly is on the radar for several NFL teams.
9. Falcons’ position-by-position analysis: Check out the stories in the Falcons’ 2023 season-review series:
Part 3: Wide receivers/tight ends
The Bow Tie Chronicles
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