Falcons sign RB B.J. Baylor to practice squad

Damien Williams is banged up this week and did not practice on Wednesday, leaving his status for Sunday’s game against the Rams somewhat in doubt. If he’s going to miss it, Atlanta’s going to want and need more help at running back, which we figured might mean Tyler Allgeier. That may be the case, but the Falcons have signed more potential help in the form of 2022 undrafted free agent B.J. Baylor to the practice squad.

Baylor is coming off a 2021 season where he averaged nearly six yards per carry for Oregon State as a full-time starter and one of the most productive runners in college football, and entered the NFL with a penchant for breaking tackles, ranking 16th in the nation in that metric last year. His workout with the team must have gone well, because he beat out two other backs to be signed. The Falcons’ coaching style surely finds his physical running style and ability to power through contact appealing, even if Baylor didn’t get a lot of work as a pass catcher or on special teams in college.

Baylor joined the Packers after the draft but was cut when Green Bay trimmed the roster from 90 to 85 players. In Atlanta, he’ll join a group that includes Cordarrelle Patterson, Damien Williams, Allgeier, Avery Williams, and fellow practice squad back Caleb Huntley. There’s a decent chance that if Williams is out, Huntley will be elevated to the roster Sunday.

Who were the other players the Falcons worked out? It’s an interesting list featuring a pair of backs, a punter/kicker hybrid, and three kickers. Abram Smith and Jordan Wilkins were the two other backs Atlanta brought in, but it’s very interesting that the team focused so heavily on kickers with their other workouts. Perhaps they’re just looking to update their call list should anything happen to Younghoe Koo, or perhaps they’re mulling a practice squad spot in the future for a specialist. If that’s the case, the most interesting name on the list is probably Cameron “Dicker the Kicker” Dicker, who both kicked and punted for Texas in college.

Give Baylor a warm welcome to Atlanta, and we’ll see if he’s ticketed for any kind of role on the active roster in the near future.