Getty Former Chiefs tight end David Wells.
The Atlanta Falcons announced two tight end moves on Friday as the club sent 2020 undrafted free agent Ryan Becker to the reserve/injured list and signed David Wells in his place.
Wells, a 2018 undrafted free agent, has been bouncing around the NFL from the practice squad to practice squad. He most recently spent time in New England at the Patriots’ training camp where he saw action in their first preseason game vs. Washington. Prior to that, he was with the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys.
As for Becker, he signed with Atlanta back in April. He joined the league last season with the Arizona Cardinals after going undrafted in the 2020 NFL Draft. He caught one pass for eight yards last week in the Falcons’ loss to Tennessee.
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Wells Will Compete for a Fourth-String Spot
With Kyle Pitts, Hayden Hurst, and Lee Smith filling the first the three spots on the tight end depth chart, Wells, a 6-foot-6 and 260-pounder, will be competing for the fourth-string job.
Wells will be up against Parker Hesse and John Raine. Hesse caught one ball for 8 yards and has had some shining moments during training camp, while Raine led the team in receptions with 2 for 15 vs. Tennessee. He has also played snaps at fullback, which gives him an edge with his versatility.
Pitts, Hurts, and Lee were held out of the preseason opener and it’s likely they will be this time too. That means Wells should have plenty of opportunity to show what he has to offer against the Miami Dolphins on Saturday night.
Becker Joins Jaeden Graham on Reserve/Injured List
The Falcons added promising tight end Jaeden Graham to the reserve/injured list two weeks ago, just after waiving and putting kicker Sterling Hofrichter on it.
Graham was hurt while running a route with a non-contact injury.
He originally broke into the NFL in 2018 as an undrafted free agent and has learned a lot along the way:
“The biggest lesson that I’ve learned is that I belong in the NFL,” Graham said in a recent interview with The Draft Network’s Justin Melo (via the Falcoholic).” When I came out of college, a lot of people had a bunch of questions on whether or not I could cut it in this league. A lot of people didn’t think I’d even get an opportunity to showcase my talent.
Heck, a lot of people didn’t think I could even crack a 90-man roster for training camp. You said it. I’m entering my fourth year now. I have a newfound confidence in myself and my abilities. I can put a product on the field that’s good enough for the NFL. That’s the biggest thing that I’ve learned; I’ve learned to believe in myself. I carry that confidence with me on gameday.”
Let’s hope he recovers soon so he can use his newfound confidence on the field.
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