Falcons bring back familiar face on the defensive line, but for the practice squad

The Atlanta Falcons signed a defensive lineman...to the practice squad. He was a name people got (slightly) excited about...in preseason. This is not the news update you were looking for, I’m afraid.

We can make educated guesses about why this move was made, but as always, it’s not immediately clear whether a practice squad signing has any impact on the active roster. Tupou has a Seattle connection and a is a solid young defensive tackle, and he’ll be around as insurance in case the injury bug continues to take bites out of the defensive line. He joins J’Terius Jones (an obvious call-up candidate if Vic Beasley will miss significant time) and veteran Joe Vellano on the practice squad. Whether any of those guys gets a cup of coffee on the active roster likely depends on how long Beasley and Courtney Upshaw will miss, but for now, it’s just something to file away.

Welcome back, Taniela Tupou, and happy trails, Jhurrell Pressley.