Falcons Working Out Former Giants Tight End Today

The Falcons are working out a veteran tight end today, at last.

Former Giants TE Bear Pascoe is in Atlanta today, meeting with and working out for the Falcons.

— Ralph Vacchiano (@RVacchianoNYDN) May 1, 2014

It was fair to wonder what the team was going to do at tight end. A draft pick seemed like an obvious choice, but were the Falcons truly going to double dip at the position, or would they sign a cost-effective veteran later? If they wind up with Pascoe, that question has been answered, and the team can freely pick a more balanced player in the middle-to-late rounds.

Pascoe, 28, is a former New York Giant with 31 receptions, 284 yards and a touchdown over five seasons in the NFL. Suffice to say, he's not an excellent receiver for the tight end position, but he remains valuable because of his superior blocking. He's very strong for a tight end—some might say strong as a bear!—and great at handling linebackers coming off the edge. That's why he ranks highly in Pro Football Focus's ratings:

Bear Pascoe has the 3rd-best TE ranking of available UFA TEs per @PFF behind Hartsock & Winslow. 28 years old.

— Steve (@SteveInBrooklyn) May 1, 2014

If he signs and makes the team, you can expect Pascoe to be the team's designated blocking tight end, likely as the second or third option behind Levine Toilolo and possibly whichever rookie the Falcons wind up with. He's likely to be cheap and he's likely to be useful, so I support this.

Also, this is the team's first Bear since Bear Woods. Bring him home, TD!