Falcons Transactions: Atlanta Signs Two Linemen, Cut RB Jeremy McNichols

Atlanta has made its first transaction following the end of minicamp.

Last week, Atlanta Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot stated that the team's final roster wasn't in the building. In particular, Fontenot singled out the offensive and defensive lines as areas of need.

Wasting no time since the conclusion of OTAs, the Falcons have signed defensive lineman Jalen Dalton and offensive lineman Jonotthan Harrison to one-year contracts, per release.

To make room for the new additions, the team released running back Jeremy McNichols and wide receiver Austin Trammell.

The Falcons released individual statements on each player, starting with the 24-year-old Dalton.

“Dalton was originally signed by the Chicago Bears following the 2019 NFL Draft. He has spent time with the Bears and New Orleans Saints but missed the last two seasons due to injury and has not appeared in a regular-season game. The 6-foot-6, 300-pound defensive lineman recorded 93 total tackles (46 solo), 15 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, seven passes defensed, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery in 38 games over four seasons (2015-18) at the University of North Carolina.”

Harrison, 30, hails from Groveland, Florida, and has started over 40 games at center during his career.

“Harrison was originally signed by the Indianapolis Colts following the 2014 NFL Draft out of Florida. The seventh-year offensive lineman has appeared in 84 games (42 starts) for the Colts and New York Jets and has also spent time with the Buffalo Bills and New York Giants.”

McNichols was signed by the team last month and had past experience with Falcons head coach Arthur Smith, leading some to believe he could sneak his way onto Atlanta's roster.

Trammell is a second-year pro from Rice who spent much of last season on Atlanta's practice squad, appearing in the final two games of the season. He impressed throughout last offseason, but with the Falcons adding significant depth to the wide receiver room, his path to making the roster was difficult.

Harrison's experience inside is particularly intriguing for the Falcons, considering incumbent starter Matt Hennessy and 2021 fourth-round draft pick Drew Dalman are battling for the right to start. However, neither Harrison nor Dalton should be viewed as safe bets to make the roster.

Moving forward, expect the Falcons to continue adding to its roster, particularly the trenches, just as Fontenot said. With training camp starting in roughly six weeks, the roster will soon start taking shape.