Getty Falcons host former Bears WR Damiere Byrd.
The Atlanta Falcons are continuing their wide receiver search and hosted former Chicago Bears wideout Damiere Byrd, according to ESPN’s Field Yates.
The Falcons hosted WR Damiere Byrd on a free agent visit. He recently visited the Raiders as well. The speedy wideout spent last year with the Bears.
The Falcons have recently been eyeing a handful of Chicago’s free agents, which makes sense considering one of their new hires this offseason, Ryan Pace, spent six seasons as the Bears’ general manager.
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Byrd Went Undrafted in 2015
Byrd, a product of the University of South Carolina, went undrafted in 2015.
However, a neighboring team, the Carolina Panthers, signed him to their practice squad which is where he spent his entire rookie season. It was a good year for Carolina as a whole as they made it to the Super Bowl, but Byrd didn’t get a chance to play a part in the team’s success that ultimately ended in a 24-10 loss to the Denver Broncos.
The following season, Byrd made the 53-man roster, although he still didn’t see much playing time until 2017. Despite bouncing off and on injured reserve that year, he broke a franchise record by returning a 103-yard kickoff against the Bucs in Week 16, which also resulted in Carolina’s first kickoff-return TD since 2011. The impressive touchdown earned him NFC Special Teams Player of the Week.
The 29-year-old entered 2018 as the team’s lead punt returner but his season was, once again, cut short after breaking his arm for the second time. The Cardinals picked him up as a 2019 free agent and he spent a single season, where he recorded a career-high 32 watched for 359 yards and a touchdown.
The next year, Byrd found himself on a one-year deal with New England where he logged an even better season of 47 catches for 609 yards and a touchdown.
He landed another single-season deal with Chicago in 2021 as a reserve, catching 26 catches for 329 yards and a touchdown.
Aside from visiting the Falcons, Byrd also had a chance to visit the Las Vegas Raiders, but we’ll see if Pace and the other Bears on the team can reel in the speedy veteran.
The Falcons Running Back Room Without Calvin Ridley
The Falcons will be without their top wide receiver, Calvin Ridley, this year after he was suspended for gambling for at least one season.
Falcons’ general manager Terry Fontenot addressed Ridley’s suspension on March 23 during a press conference following Matt Ryan’s trade to Indianapolis.
While he said he was surprised to hear about what had happened, Fontenot made it clear that Ridley has his full support.
“[Calvin is] on our roster right now, and we continue to support in whatever way we can and do the best that we can and how the future looks; we don’t know,” Fontenot said. “That’s a long time from now. And so we’ll see what happens with that. But we’ve been transparent really with all the information on
With Ridley suspended for at least a year, Russell Gage headed to Tampa to join the Buccaneers and Tajae Sharpe still looming in free agency, Olamide Zaccaheaus currently leads the Falcons’ wide receiver group.
Atlanta also has Frank Darby and has recently added KhaDarel Hodge and Auden Tate, but none match Ridley’s level of talent.
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