Falcons release 3 players from reserve/retired list

The Falcons are making moves. They’re just not the kinds of moves you’d expect from a team shortly before training camp opens, in that they do not impact the current team in any way, shape, or form.

Nonetheless, we wanted to make note of them. Per the NFL’s transaction wire, former Falcons safety Charles Godfrey, center Trevor Robinson, and tackle Carter Bykowski have all been released from the reserve/retired list for Atlanta. In essence, all that really means is that if any of those three returned to the NFL, the team would no longer hold their contractual rights.

The 34-year-old Godfrey is the most familiar name on this list, as he played parts of seven seasons with the Carolina Panthers and parts of two seasons in Atlanta, serving as a backup for Atlanta over that span. He hung up his cleats after the 2015 season after originally competing in training camp in 2016 for one of the final spots on the roster, and hasn’t been seen or heard from in NFL circles since.

Robinson spent a short time during the 2016 season with the Falcons as a deep reserve before retiring in 2017. Bykowski joined the Atlanta practice squad during the 2016 season and also announced his retirement in 2017.

There may be some sort of CBA-related timing for these moves that I’m not aware of, or it could be the team simply updating its books a few years after these players left the NFL. Either way, it’s not exactly moving the needle on the 2020 season.

Hopefully, all three are faring well in retirement. We wish them well, and we brace ourselves for bigger moves ahead for the Falcons.