Getty Marcus Mariota of the Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons made a flurry of roster moves ahead of their November 10 matchup against the Carolina Panthers.
Atlanta placed center/left guard Matt Hennessy on injured reserve with a knee injury and signed safety Jovante Moffatt from the practice squad to the 53-man roster, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Hennessy will miss at least the next four games, which means Colby Gossett is next in line to slide into the starting left guard role.
Moffatt had been elevated to play on special teams over the last two weeks, and now he may end up playing a larger role this week because of the Falcons’ depleted secondary.
Ledbetter also reported that the team released cornerback BoPete Keyes from the practice squad and signed outside linebacker Quinton Bell and offensive lineman Jonotthan Harrison in a corresponding move.
Bell and Harrison Are Familiar Faces to Atlanta
Harrison and Bell are familiar faces to the Atlanta organization.
Harrison, 30, originally went undrafted in 2014 out of Florida but was soon picked up by the Indianapolis Colts following the draft. He started 10 of his 15 appearances as a rookie and saw action in all 16 games during his second season. Through three seasons with the Colts, Harrison played in 44 games (23 starts). After his stint with the Colts, Harrison found himself on the New York Jets roster where he played in 40 games (19 starts) from 2017 to 2019.
Harrison’s career sort of came to a halt following his 2019 campaign. He was released by the Jets prior to the 2020 season and then spent all but one game on the Buffalo Bills’ practice squad. The New York Giants pick him up in February 2021, but an Achilles injury landed him on injured reserve.
Atlanta first signed Harrison back in June during preseason workouts and then released him ahead of the season.
As for Bell, 26, he was initially drafted out of Prairie View A&M by the Las Vegas Raiders in 2019. He failed to make the team’s active roster and spent his time there on the practice squad. Before signing with the Falcons, appeared in five games last year with Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Falcons Share Workout Participation Update
The Falcons have a short week of preparation, with their next game scheduled for November 10.
With the players still fresh off their 20-17 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on November 6, the team did not run through a full practice on Tuesday. However, the Falcons did hold an on-field workout at the training facility.
Some players did not participate, according to the team’s official website. Those players included starting cornerback A.J. Terrell (hamstring) and safety Erik Harris (foot). Tight end Feliepe Franks (calf) also did not take part in the team’s workout.
Terrell has missed the last two weeks, leaving the Falcons working with a relatively young and inexperienced secondary.
If Harris is unable to play, Moffatt could be in for a larger role this week. He had 14 appearances over two years with the Cleveland Browns before signing with the Falcons.
The Falcons’ game on November 10 is their first and only Thursday Night Football appearance this season.