Getty Damiere Byrd #10 of the Chicago Bears is tackled by Dean Marlowe #31 of the Detroit Lions.
The Atlanta Falcons are not going to let limited cap space get in their way of making moves in free agency and have added a player each week since the start of FA on March 16.
And on the last day of the month, the team announced a new piece to their secondary in former Detroit Lions safety, Dean Marlowe, who signed a one-year deal with Atlanta.
We have signed safety Dean Marlowe to a one-year contract.
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Marlowe Went Undrafted in 2015
Marlowe, 29, originally went undrafted in 2015 before being picked up by the Carolina Panthers. He made the team’s 53-man roster as a rookie but had a limited role during his first year.
His NFL career in Carolina was cut short due to a hamstring injury that made him miss the 2016 season and in 2017, the Panthers released him. He spent most of the 2017 season hanging around until the Buffalo Bills picked him up in December where he spent the next three years in a reserve role bouncing on and off of Buffalo’s practice squad.
But he comes to Atlanta after spending the 2021 season in Detroit. While there, Marlowe started 9 games for the Lions, playing 65% of the total snaps on defense and logging 67 total tackles (37 solo) along with 2 passes defended.
The Falcons’ unofficial ESPN depth chart has Marlowe listed as their starting strong safety, in front of second-year rookie Richie Grant and newly signed free agent wideout Teez Tabor.
It’s worth noting that Marlowe is the former teammate and from the same draft class as wide receiver Damiere Byrd, whom the Falcons hosted for a visit earlier in the week.
He also played a year in Detroit with the Falcons’ new wideout, KhaDarel Hodge. Hodge was also signed to a one-year deal with Atlanta on Friday, March 25.
Rookies Need to Improve, Specifically Richie Grant
Falcons head coach Arthur Smith made it clear on Wednesday, March 29, that the Falcons rookie class must improve and specifically pointed out safety Richie Grant and Kyle Pitts, per D. Orlando Ledbetter.
#Falcons coach Arthur Smith said all of the rookies have to improve next season and specifically S Richie Grant falls into that group.
“He needs to take another step and improve,” Smith said of Pitts, via the AJC. “He had a decent rookie season, and we expect him to be better this season.
Out of the Falcons’ 2021 rookie class, Pitts was the only one who made a noticeable impact with 1,121 yards on 90 catches and one touchdown. He was also named to the 2021 Pro Bowl.
Meanwhile, Grant finished his first year with 35 tackles, two tackles for loss, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He played almost 200 snaps in the slot where he surrendered 19 receptions on 24 targets for over 200 yards.
“(Grant) fits in that category, too. We need all of those guys to take a step (forward), and they know it. I like the class, but they’ve got to prove it every year. It’s not like college and you’re on scholarship for four years.”
While Grant’s numbers were disappointing to Smith, it’s normal for a rookie to take a leap in his second NFL season after getting comfortable adjusting to the next level.
Smith continued, “There’s an expectation that they all need to improve. Certainly, we’ll see what happens when they come back in the spring and more importantly, in training camp.”
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