Getty Atlanta Falcons helmets.
The Atlanta Falcons made a pair of roster moves ahead of the 4th of July weekend.
The team signed veteran punter Bradley Pinion on the last day of June and waived 24-year-old punter Dom Maggio in order to make room for their new punter, according to NFL insider Aaron Wilson.
Atlanta Falcons cut Dom Maggio after signing Bradley Pinion
ALL the latest Falcons news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Falcons newsletter here!
Maggio’s Record-Setting Career at Wake Forest
Before entering the NFL, Maggio played collegiately at Wake Forest, where he finished second in school history with a total of 291 punts and 12,703 yards through 52 career games.
As a Demon Deacon, Maggio recorded 101 career punts inside the 20 and finished with a 43.7 career punting average, which ranks third in Wake Forest football history. As a freshman, he logged a career-long punt of 80 yards against Clemson. Then, during his senior year he set Wake Forest and ACC records with a 57.7 average against the Tigers, recording nine punts for 519 yards.
Maggio played in 13 games as a senior in 2019, recording 74 punts for 3,464 yards. His 46.8-yard average was the second highest in single-season school history. To finish off his collegiate career, Maggio was named second-team All-ACC and nominated for the Ray Guy Award for the second year in a row. He also served as the team’s holder on extra points and field goals.
Ahead of his Demon Deacon days, the Maryland native was considered the nation’s top punter coming out of high school, where he also was a placekicker.
Following the 2020 NFL Draft, Maggio was initially signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent following but was released in August.
He inked a deal with the Atlanta Falcons in March of 2021 and spent the season on the practice squad before signing a futures deal in January of this year. Maggio has yet to play in a regular-season game.
Following a BIG performance and a win at the annual #KohlsProCombine, punter Dom Maggio has been signed by the Atlanta Falcons.
Pinion Was the Only Punter Drafted in 2015
Pinion, 28, was originally selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the fifth round (No. 165 overall) of the 2015 NFL Draft. The Clemson Tiger product was the only punter to come out of that draft class.
As a rookie with the Niners, Pinion put up 91 punts for 3,969 net yards, averaging 43.62 yards per kick. His success continued during his second year in the league when he finished the season with 100 punts for 4,402 total yards. His 100 punts led the NFL that year.
Pinion struggled in his third year, posting career-low numbers of 75 punts for 3,255 total yards in 2017. His numbers continued to dip in 2018, despite earning Special Teams Player of the week in Week 9 where he posted a 64-yard punt.
In 2019, Pinion began a new journey after inking a four-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Once again, his numbers continued to plummet as he finished the year with a career-low 57 punts for 2,464 total yards.
The same thing happened in 2020. However, the upside was that the Bucs made it to the Super Bowl and won, which Pinion played a role in, punting four times for 150 total yards during the 31-9 victory.
At the end of July, Pinion will enter a training camp battle with 2022 undrafted free agent Seth Vernon for a final roster spot.
Welcome to Atlanta, @bpinion05‼️
READ NEXT:
Comments