Falcons sign WR KeeSean Johnson

The Falcons have vowed to never stop tinkering with their roster, and that includes right after they’ve just made their first round of roster cuts to get down to 85 players.

Atlanta announced Wednesday that they’ve signed wide receiver KeeSean Johnson, who was released by the 49ers earlier this week.

Johnson, a 6’1” receiver who broke into the NFL with the Cardinals as a sixth round pick back in 2019, has 36 receptions for 360 yards and a touchdown in three seasons. He spent 2021 with the Eagles, primarily on the practice squad, and had joined the 49ers back in January before being cut to help San Francisco get down to their 85 man roster. Clearly, the Falcons have looked into him and were happy to snap him up once the 49ers cut him.

Johnson will have his work cut out for him in trying to make the roster, given that he hasn’t been a factor on special teams to this point in his career and is joining up so late in the summer, but he should be able to make a big push for a practice squad spot if all goes well. You should expect to see him suit up against the Jets and likely receive quite a bit of playing time with Drake London likely to be on the shelf and no word as to whether Bryan Edwards will return for Week 2 of the preseason, mixing in with the likes of Geronimo Allison, Auden Tate, and rookies Stanley Berryhill and Jared Bernhardt.

Per Tori McElhaney with the Falcons, rookie receiver Tyshaun James was waived in a corresponding move. James had joined the team as an intriguing, athletic undrafted free agent, and will hope to catch on with another team in the coming days. The Falcons also reached an injury settlement with Bryce Rodgers, an undrafted free agent defensive lineman who was hurt in training camp.

Give Johnson a warm welcome to Atlanta, and we’ll see if he can stick around.