Falcons sign CFL defensive back Jamal Peters, 17 others to reserve/future deals

Shortly after the season ends, teams generally ink quite a few players to reserve/future deals. These contracts do not take effect until the new league year, but are a way for teams like the Falcons to get players they might want to take to training camp to compete for jobs on board early.

Last year, Atlanta added and/or kept aboard key contributors like Caleb Huntley, Cornell Armstrong, and Ryan Neuzil using these deals. They also signed a pair of Canadian Football League standouts in Dee Alford and Brayden Lenius, and Alford wound up being a valuable reserve at cornerback all season long for the team.

Now the Falcons have announced 18 reserve/future signings for 2023, and they have once again looked north of the border for one of them. Here’s the complete list, courtesy of the team:

• WR Josh Ali
• RB B.J. Baylor
• OLB Quinton Bell
• DL Amani Bledsoe
• ILB Dorian Etheridge
• TE Tucker Fisk
• CB Javelin Guidry
• CB Matt Hankins
• OL Jonotthan Harrison
• WR Ra’Shaun Henry
• ILB Nate Landman
• DB Dylan Mabin
• DB Jamal Peters
• TE John Raine
• FB Clint Ratkovich
• CB John Reid
• OL Justin Shaffer
• OL Tyler Vrabel

The name I’d call attention to first is Peters. A former Mississippi State standout who played both safety and cornerback but switched full-time to corner in 2016, Peters went undrafted in 2019 and wound up heading to the CFL. He’s coming off a season where he managed a league-leading six interceptions and was a big-time playmaker for the Toronto Argonauts, and the Falcons clearly liked what they saw from the 6’2”, 220 pound defensive back. He’ll compete for a role in a thinned-out secondary, and if he shows well, Dee Alford is proof that Peters can earn a spot.

Every other name here spent time on the Falcons’ practice squad in 2022, so they should all be somewhat familiar. The ones I’d keep an eye on include Shaffer, a mauling guard who could compete for at least a depth role in 2023; Ratkovich, a versatile fullback who might push Keith Smith this summer; Landman, who actually made the roster and had a special teams role early in the year; and Hankins, a cornerback the Falcons appeared to like a lot last summer and carried all year long on the practice squad.

Congratulations to all these players, and we’ll look forward to seeing them compete for roster spots this summer.