Following a 48-25 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and two pivotal shanked punts by Cameron Nizialek, the Atlanta Falcons worked out punters this week.
It’s apparent that they liked what they saw from longtime Kansas City Chiefs punter Dustin Colquitt and inked him on Tuesday afternoon.
We have signed P Dustin Colquitt to the practice squad and released OL Bryan Witzmann from the practice squad.
For now, the Falcons are keeping Nizialek who will compete with Colquitt for the starting job on Sunday against the New York Giants.
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Colquitt Is a Super Bowl LIV Champion
Unlike Nizialek, Colquitt, 39, brings plenty of experience to the Falcons’ practice squad.
The Kansas City Chiefs selected Colquitt in the third round (99th pick overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft. He spent 15 seasons with KC, where he notched Pro Bowl honors in 2012 and 2016.
He left the Chiefs after their 2019 Super Bowl LIV win and made his way to Pittsburgh where he played in five games with the Steelers and also one with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Over 16 NFL seasons, Colquitt has a 44.8-yard punting average and 39.7 net average.
In order to make room for Colquitt, Atlanta cut ties with offensive lineman Bryan Witzmann.
Since entering the league in 2014, Wiztmann has appeared in 40 games (20 starts) between the Kansas City Chiefs, Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers.
Head coach Arthur Smith made it clear on Sunday that he’s a big fan of the new league rules.
“There’s a lot of different things you can do these days because of the roster flexibility,” Smith said via AtlantaFalcons.com. “(It) gives you a chance to have a little competition if you need it, or a little safety if something goes wrong – which we’ve done with the (offensive) line.”
The Falcons have now released both offensive linemen that they signed last week, which means they could be on the prowl for other veterans in other areas. Stay tuned for what move Smith and company make next.
More Falcons Roster Moves
In more roster moves, the Falcons re-signed wide receiver Juwan Green and release kicker Elliot Fry for the third time.
#Falcons have re-signed Juwan Green to the practice squad and released Elliott Fry.
The Falcons originally signed Green as an undrafted free agent following the 2020 draft. He failed to make the final roster cuts and was signed to the practice squad, where he spent his entire rookie season. He returned to the Falcons training camp this offseason but was beat out by wideouts Austin Trammell and Keelan Doss.
As for Fry, the Falcons keep messing with his heartstrings, but he’s certainly used to it. Fry rejoined the Falcons last week after a chunk of the year with them last season as a “contingency plan. But the Falcons keep knocking him off the practice squad to make other necessary moves so don’t be surprised if we see him back on there.
Falcons Workout Top Free Agent WR
In NFL rumors, the Falcons also reportedly tried out veteran wide receiver John Brown, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Veteran wide receiver John Brown worked out for the Falcons today, per source. Atlanta could be adding some Smoke to their receiving corps, though nothing imminent.
Brown requested to be released by the Las Vegas Raiders ahead of the 2021 season but has yet to sign a new contract as a top free agent.
Since joining the league in 2014, Brown has recorded 320 catches for 4,748 receiving yards and 31 touchdowns, while averaging 14.8 yards per catch.
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Falcons Sign Longtime Chiefs Punter, Release OL