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The Atlanta Falcons hosted free agent offensive lineman Germain Ifedi on Thursday, March 24, as reported first by ESPN’s NFL insider Field Yates.
Yates adds that Ifedi spent the last two seasons with the Chicago Bears under general manager Ryan Pace, whom the Falcons recently added to their front office as a senior personnel executive.
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Ifedi Was a First-Round Pick
Ifedi, 27, was originally selected 31st overall by the Seattle Seahawks in 2016, becoming the fourth-straight Texas A&M offensive lineman to go in the first round of an NFL Draft.
He started all but 3 games during his rookie season at right guard. In 2017, Ifedi was starting every game, this time at right tackle for Seattle, however, he led the league in penalties that season with 16 after committing only 6 during his first year.
Ifedi didn’t improve in 2018, thus leading to the Seahawks’ decision to decline his fifth-year options in 2019.
The Chicago Bears picked him up in 2020 on a one-year deal and re-signed him in 2021. Ifedi started 23 of his 25 games during his time with the Bears, spending time at guard in 2020 before being moved to right tackle last season.
Heading into the 2022 season, the Falcons currently have Kaleb McGary as their right tackle starter and Chris Lindstrom at right guard, but Ifedi would be a boost to their lackluster depth chart if he can refrain himself from causing penalties.
Falcons Hosted Three Other Players
In the midst of the Deshaun Watson saga last week, the Falcons stayed busy behind the scenes and hosted wide receiver Tre’Quan Smith and offensive lineman Nick Easton last week––two former Saints.
Smith,26, spent the last four seasons as a No. 3 receiver on the Saints’ depth chart. Since being drafted in the third round by the Saints in 2018, Smith has been a steady option in New Orleans and has recorded at least 18 catches in all four years with an average of 13.3 yards per catch.
Just last season, Smith recorded 32 catches for 377 yards and three touchdowns as the team battled through quarterback injuries. All in all, he has scored 17 touchdowns in four seasons with the New Orleans Saints. The Falcons are on the search for a starting wide receiver and backup options, so Smith could be an affordable option to fit that mold.
Meanwhile, Easton, 29, did not play in 2021 but has plenty of experience as a starter. The 29-year-old originally signed with the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2015. From there, he was traded to the San Francisco 49ers and traded once again to the Minnesota Vikings a few months later. In 2019, he was picked up by the Saints where he started 15 games for them until he was released to free up a chunk of cap space. Easton has seen playing time at both center and left guard, which are two needs on the Falcons’ roster.
The Falcons also met with veteran tight end Tyler Kroft, who has been bouncing around the league since 2015 and is fresh off a 2021 season with the Jets where he caught 16 passes for 173 yards and a touchdown through nine games. The tight end position is yet, another need on Atlanta’s long list as they look to add depth behind Kyle Pitts.
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