'Pray for Buffalo': Falcons DB Dean Marlowe Reflects on Supermarket Shooting

New Atlanta Falcons safety Dean Marlowe spent parts of four seasons with the Buffalo Bills from 2017-20, making Saturday's shooting at a Buffalo supermarket that killed 10 people hit closer to home.
Praying for the city of Buffalo 🙏
— Dean Marlowe (@machine_marlowe) May 15, 2022
Dean Marlowe
Dean Marlowe (right)
Dean Marlowe
According to Pro Football Network's Aaron Wilson, the Falcons signed Marlowe to a contract worth $1.187 million for the 2022 season.
Marlowe, who turns 30 in July, is entering his seventh year in the NFL with four teams and third in three years. He started his career in 2015 as an undrafted free agent with the Carolina Panthers, but played seldomly on special teams in his first two years in the league.
He found a home in the AFC East with the Buffalo Bills, spending time there from 2018-20. In 2020, he played in all but one game for the Bills, and recorded the first two interceptions of his career to go with 1.5 sacks and 22 tackles.
And of course, that "home'' is why Marlowe joins the many who feel the pain of Buffalo.
Marlowe's career marches on. Looking back, his work in Buffalo led to a new contract with the Detroit Lions in 2021, where he saw a significant increase in playing time. Marlowe played in all but one game for the Lions, making nine starts and recording a career-high 67 tackles.
According to Pro Football Focus, Marlowe allowed just 172 receiving yards last season, ranking 10th-lowest in the NFL.
Richie Grant
Erik Harris
A.J. Terrell
In Atlanta, Marlowe is set to join second-year pro Richie Grant, who was drafted 35th overall by the Falcons in 2021, and Erik Harris, another veteran who re-signed with the team earlier in the offseason.
It's uncertain how much Marlowe will factor into the Falcons secondary, but if he continues this upward trajectory from the past two years, he's headed for a good amount of playing time in Atlanta. In the meantime, he and the rest of us are thinking about more than football on this tragic day.

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.
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