Falcons add two running backs, cut ties with guard Mike Person

We knew the Falcons would need to add at least one running back to the roster with Tevin Coleman potentially missing multiple weeks, but I didn’t necessarily anticipate that they’d add two.

Ward spent his rookie season with the Falcons in 2015, helping out on special teams, showing decent blocking chops, and running the ball at about the level you’d anticipate from an undrafted free agent rookie. With a little seasoning, hopefully he’ll be a little more effective, but he’s not going to steal a ton of touches away from Devonta Freeman.

Ditto Ridley, who comes out of nowhere. He was a starting running back for a while in the NFL, though he hasn’t been one since 2013, and he has almost 3,000 rushing yards in his career. Chances are he’ll be a temporary option for Atlanta while Coleman is out, and I’d anticipate that he’d be third in the pecking order for carries, at least initially. We’ll see if he has anything left in the tank.

A.J. Hawk being released is no surprise—he barely got on the field and is nearing the end of his career—but Person is a mild surprise at this point in the season, given that he survived roster cuts. Having lost his starting center job and without a starting job at guard, though, Person finds himself on the street in favor of Ben Garland (who can play both offense and defense) and rookie Wes Schweitzer, who may find himself active on gamedays going forward, though Person wasn’t active himself. We wish both of these guys well.

What’s your reaction to the news?