Falcons Sign DL Justin Ellis; What's Next?
The Atlanta Falcons are adding to their roster just days into training camp.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Falcons are signing defensive tackle Justin Ellis to a contract.
Ellis, 32, worked out with the Falcons on Friday alongside former Indianapolis Colts defensive lineman Kemoko Turay.
Ellis brings a ton of experience with him to the Falcons defensive line. As a fourth-round pick in 2014, he brings a decade of an NFL career with him to the table. He spent the first five seasons of his career (2014-18) with the Oakland Raiders before signing with the Baltimore Ravens and spending three years there (2019-21).
Last year, Ellis played with the New York Giants, recording 22 tackles and appearing in all 17 games.
Now that Ellis is in the fold, what does it mean for the Falcons?
Atlanta's roster now sits at 90 people, so the Falcons won't have to cut a player, but the team could look to say goodbye to someone currently in camp.
It's possible that this signing could mark the end of Eddie Goldman's attempted return to the team. Goldman showed up on Tuesday in great shape, but left voluntarily since then.
"There’s a possibility," Smith said via The Athletic's Josh Kendall regarding Goldman's return. "He looked phenomenal when he showed up the other day, but you never know what somebody is going through. We’ll have a final answer by tomorrow."
Perhaps signing Ellis is a contingency plan in case Goldman doesn't return, but for now, Atlanta is continuing to add veterans to a defensive line that needs to improve if the Falcons want to return to the playoffs.
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