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It's a quiet Tuesday, so it's time for a roster move!
Falcons sign linebacker Philip Wheeler (Georgia Tech) and release safety Charles Godfrey.
— vaughn mcclure (@vxmcclure23) October 20, 2015
This pickup could indicate any number of concerns with the linebacking corps, but the most likely is that Justin Durant is not a lock to return this week. There may be another injury we're not aware of, or the team may have watched the largely gruesome performance from the linebackers against the Saints and decided to make a change, but Durant's status seems the likeliest explanation. As many of you have already suggested in the comments, Wheeler could eventually be a third down option in place of Paul Worrilow, whose struggles in coverage have sparked a thousand takes.
In Wheeler, they're getting a veteran with extensive starting experience in the NFL who was a useful player as recently as 2013, when he was a tackling machine who snagged a half sack and seven pass deflections. In 2014, however, he started just four games and generally looked pretty shaky doing so, and may well be on the downslope of his once-productive career. At his best, the former Georgia Tech product is a quick linebacker with decent coverage skills, but this looks more like a depth signing than a serious challenge to anyone's job at this point.
Godfrey just keeps ping-ponging on and off the roster. With Robenson Therezie looking decent and Ricardo Allen apparently fully healthy, he'll hit the wire until the next time the Falcons need him, more than likely. We wish him well.
I'll be interested to see what becomes of Wheeler in an Atlanta uniform, but I'd expect him to be inactive this week as he gets up to speed. Stay tuned.