Rob Carr/Getty Images Wide receiver Bennie Fowler celebrates after catching a first half touchdown pass against Washington on December 09, 2018.
On Thursday the Atlanta Falcons placed tight end Jaeden Graham on injured reserve, opening a place on the roster for a skill player on offense. According to NFL reporter Aaron Wilson, the Falcons subsequently took the opportunity to work out a trio of wide receivers, one of whom has 12 games worth of starting experience.
Atlanta Falcons worked out Bennie Fowler, Aleva Hifo and Khalil Tate
Bennie Fowler, For One
The experienced receiver in question is Bennie Fowler, 30, who has been in the league since 2014, when he was signed by the Denver Broncos as a rookie undrafted free agent out of Michigan State. Fowler played in 45 games for the Broncos (with five starts) before moving on to the New York Giants, with stops in Chicago and New England in between.
In New York, Fowler played a total of 18 games (with seven starts) before spending the 2020 season with the New Orleans Saints. In May he inked a one-year contract with the San Francisco 49ers, only to be released on July 31.
All told, Fowler has played in 68 career games, with 97 receptions for 1,101 yards and six receiving touchdowns. He also has significant experience playing on special teams. According to Pro Football Reference, he has 863 career special teams snaps to his credit.
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Aleva Hifo, For Another
Wide receiver Aleva Hifo got his first chance in the NFL with Kansas City, signing with the Chiefs as a rookie undrafted free agent following the 2020 NFL Draft. But the Brigham Young product was waived after spending time on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, and couldn’t win a spot on Kansas City’s Super Bowl-ready roster even after being brought back for a second look.
At 5-foot-10 and 190 pounds, Hifo is best suited to play in the slot, but he also has experience returning both kickoffs and punts. In his 51-game college career he caught 118 passes for 1,336 yards and seven touchdowns. Yet it’s perhaps worth noting that he averaged 15.8 yards per punt return during his senior year, then went on to run a 4.41 second 40-yard dash at his Pro Day, which got him on the radar screen of NFL teams.
Khalil Tate is a Former College Quarterback
Last but not least, on Thursday the Falcons auditioned Khalil Tate, who played quarterback at the University of Arizona but was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles in the spring of 2020 with the idea of converting him into a wide receiver. Tate was waived early in training camp, only to be re-signed by Philadelphia in January, and then waived again two months ago.
At best, Tate would seem to be an extended-term project with a near-term ceiling that screams practice squad, though he would seem to offer gadget play potential. And while his college passing stats probably aren’t particularly relevant at this point in time, it’s worth noting that he had 366 career rushing attempts for the Wildcats, gaining a total of 2,285 yards (6.2 yards per rush) with 18 touchdowns.
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