Getty Falcons acquire cornerback Rashad Fenton from the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Atlanta Falcons made three moves ahead of the November 1st, 4 p.m deadline.
First, the team traded Calvin Ridley to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for conditional draft picks.
Second, the team sent safety Dean Marlowe to the Buffalo Bills and received a 2023 seventh-round pick in return.
And then with their third move, the Falcons gave up a seventh-round pick to the Kansas City Chiefs in order to acquire cornerback Rashad Fenton from them.
More! A deal that beat the buzzer: the Chiefs have traded CB Rashad Fenton to the Falcons, per source.
The Chiefs have gotten really good play out of their rookie CBs, as Fenton was recently replaced in the starting lineup.
Fenton Joins Atlanta Dealing With a Hamstring Injury
Fenton opened the 2022 season as a starter for Kansas City, but a hamstring injury caused him to miss the last two weeks.
Because of this, the Chiefs were able to see what rookie cornerback Joshua Williams could do and seemed to be pleased with what they saw as they let Fenton go.
Fenton, who joined the Chiefs in 2019 as a sixth-round pick out of the University of South Carolina, is playing out the final year of his rookie contract.
He appeared in 47 regular-season games with 16 starts with Kansas City and was a part of the team’s Super Bowl-winning team in 2020.
Per Falcons analyst, Cam Marino, Atlanta is getting a strong No. 2 corner.
“Fenton is a strong CB2 who shadows 53% of the time,” Marino wrote in a Tweet. “He’s a war dog at the catch point with some inconsistencies in man looks. Should do well for Dean Pees who likes his corners to be able to operate in open space/coverages. Fenton is a sound tackler.”
Fenton makes up for the Falcons’ loss of Marlowe and adds depth to a very depleted Falcons secondary.
Falcons Secondary Has Taken a Toll This Season
The Falcons’ secondary position is the most banged-up group on the roster at the moment.
Starting cornerback A.J. Terrell missed Sunday’s 37-34 overtime win over the Carolina Panthers due to a hamstring injury. Meanwhile, the starting corner opposite of Terrell, Casey Hayward, remains on injured reserve with a shoulder injury.
Safety Jaylinn Hawkins is also in concussion protocol. Head coach Arthur Smith revealed on Monday that he won’t know any updates until Wednesday’s practice.
Despite pulling off a wild Week 8 win, their presence has been missed.
Until then, the Falcons have also signed veteran defensive back Cornell Armstrong to a one-year deal.
Armstrong was first elevated from the practice squad against the Bengals where he logged eight tackles and one pass breakup. The following week, he was signed to the active roster ahead of the Carolina game and contributed three tackles and three passes defended.
He spent the end of the preseason on IR and was waived with an injury settlement before re-signing with the Falcons earlier this month. His injury actually gave Dee Alford a better shot at making the 53-man roster.
The Falcons initially signed Armstrong to their practice squad in December of 2021 after losing starting right cornerback Fabian Moreau to a hamstring injury in Week 13. Armstrong was never promoted to the active roster.
His only NFL start came against the Panthers last week, but as long as he stays healthy, he has a real chance of making a name for himself in Atlanta.