The Falcons trimmed the roster to the NFL mandated 53-man limit by making 11 moves. Cornerbacks Akeem King (foot) and DeMarcus Van Dyke (concussion) were placed on injured reserve. The team also reached an injury settlement with running back Brandon Wilds, while linebacker Tyler Starr will be waived/injured. Cornerback Jalen Collins will be placed on the reserve suspended list. The other cuts came with defensive tackle Joey Mbu, wide receiver J.D. McKissic, safety Sharrod Neasman, quarterback Matt Simms and tight end D.J. Tialavea getting waived.
Atlanta is also in the process of negotiating an injury settlement with FB Will Ratelle, which will get the Falcons to the 53-man roster limit.
King was selected by the Falcons in the seventh round (249th overall) of the 2015 NFL Draft out of San Jose State. Last season, he played in five games as a reserve cornerback, posting one pass defensed during his rookie season.
Van Dyke was originally drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the third round (81st overall) of the 2011 NFL Draft. Van Dyke has seen action in 25 games with four starts while posting 17 tackles (14 solo) with four passes defensed, and one interception throughout his four year career.
Wilds was signed by the Falcons as a college free agent following the draft out of South Carolina. He led the Gamecocks in rushing with 567 yards in nine games, all starts, with three 100-yard games in 2015.
Starr was selected by the Falcons in the seventh round (255th overall) of the 2014 NFL Draft out of South Dakota. He spent the first 14 weeks of the 2015 season as a member of the Falcons practice squad before being promoted to the 53-man roster for the final three games of the season.
Collins was selected by the Falcons in the second round (42nd overall) of the 2015 NFL Draft out of Louisiana State University. Last season, he played in all 16 games with two starts in 2015, posting 12 tackles and five special teams tackles.
Collins will return from suspension in week five versus the Denver Broncos.
Mbu was originally signed by the Falcons as a college free agent following the 2015 NFL Draft. Mbu played in two games and recorded four tackles (one solo) with one tackle for loss last season.
McKissic played in 49 games for Arkansas State and posted 289 receptions for 2,838 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also returned 54 kickoffs for 1,473 yards and had a 27.3 kickoff return average.
Neasman was signed by the Falcons as a college free agent following the draft out of Florida Atlantic. He was a team captain as a senior in 2015 for the Owls, and he was also named the team’s 2015 Student-Athlete of the Year.
Simms was originally signed by the New York Jets as a college free agent following the 2012 NFL Draft. He spent the 2015 season as a member of the Falcons practice squad.
Tialavea was originally signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars as a college free agent following the 2013 NFL Draft. He spent time on the Falcons and Buffalo Bills practice squad during the 2015 season.
CLICK HERE to view the current 53 man roster
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