New gritty Falcons tight end Logan Paulsen nabs one-year contract

The Falcons added just their second outside free agent of the offseason yesterday, and it was...Logan Paulsen. That’s the name you were all waiting for.

Paulsen’s a perfectly solid blocking tight end and intermittent receiving option who basically didn’t touch the ball in Kyle Shanahan’s offense in San Francisco, but did provide some solid work clearing paths for Carlos Hyde and the 49ers ground game. In the past, he’s been capable of soaking up some targets, and he caught a combined 53 balls with four touchdowns back in 2012-2013.

Still, Paulsen’s contract should make it abundantly clear that he’s here to block and here to be a reserve, as outlined below.

The Falcons could still draft a tight end, I suppose, but this signing re-affirms my faith in Eric Saubert in a major way. Paulsen is essentially Levine Toilolo, given his role in the offense, if Toilolo was cheaper and shorter. That leaves the Falcons without a clear second pass catching option at tight end, but it just so happens they drafted an athletically gifted Drake product a year ago who some scouts and draft analysts compared (however weirdly) to Rob Gronkowski. It’s quite possible Saubert will have a bigger role in the offense in his second season, and if the Falcons have plans to use him more as a receiving threat and get Paulsen involved in more obvious blocking situations, then the signing makes a ton of sense.

A warm welcome to Paulsen, either way, and here’s hoping he can be a useful tight end for the Falcons in 2018.