NFL free agency 2017: Recapping a quiet second day for the Falcons

The Falcons have done an even better job than usual of flying under the radar to this point. Aside from rumored interest in Dontari Poe and ongoing extension talks with Desmond Trufant, they’ve successfully kept themselves out of the news for other signings entirely.

Here’s the full list of moves the Falcons made Friday:

• Re-signed veteran reserve cornerback Blidi-Wreh Wilson
• Saw Aldrick Robinson and Eric Weems sign elsewhere

To say the Falcons are going to be patient in free agency, as we often have, is to understate things. Like most teams with solid rosters and not a ton of cap space, they’re going to take care of their own first and let things settle out, which means we might not even get any news about a Poe signing until next week, if one comes at all. If you’re hungry for news, well...you’re gonna have to wait.

The Falcons should still come out of this signing period with a veteran defensive tackle, whether it be a big name or a small one, and a Desmond Trufant extension, plus a handful of other small signings. I’m hopeful we’ll hear they’ve gotten Kemal Ishmael back soon, too, and it’s possible the Falcons will be busier over the weekend than they were during the work week. I’d just start each day with no expectations.

It was generally a quieter day around the NFL, as well, with the big signings going on the first day as always. We’ll see if today brings news for the Falcons, particularly on the Trufant extension front.

Around the NFL

• The Panthers dealt Kony Ealy, who has moments of promise but has generally been disappointing, over to the Patriots. They moved up eight spots from the early third round to the late second round in the process. That seems perfectly legitimate until you realize that players traded to the Patriots magically get better, while those traded away magically get worse. Ealy will probably put up ten sacks, now.
• The Colts snagged Jabaal Sheard, one of the best pass rushers left on the market, on a three year deal. That keeps him out the NFC entirely and gives a team with a moribund defense a boost.
• Mike Remmers, who was a bit of a turnstile for the Panthers, was just signed to shore up the Vikings’ offensive line. Hilariously, Carolina and Minnesota appear to have effectively traded their worst tackles to one another, and signed each to a lucrative extension. Yikes.