Tyrell Johnson signs contract with Atlanta Falcons

In response to potential starting safety Dwight Lowery suffering a concussion during the public, “Friday Night Lights” practice, the Atlanta Falcons have made a roster move in the secondary. The team announced on Sunday that they have added free agent safety Tyrell Johnson to the roster, while waiving fullback Roosevelt Nix-Jones to create roster space.

The 29-year-old Johnson was last seen on an NFL field in 2012 when he appeared in four games with the Detroit Lions, but previous to that, he was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft, and Johnson started 27 games over four seasons in Minneapolis. Over the course of five seasons as an active player, Tyrell Johnson has compiled 100 tackles and two interceptions, and he was apparently added as a depth play in response to injury issues to both Lowery and rookie Dezmen Southward.

At this stage, it is far too early to speculate on the long-term health of Lowery and/or the actual relevance of this signing, but it is telling that the Falcons have been working out cornerbacks (namely Robert McClain) at safety this weekend. Fortunately, there is a decent amount of time before “real” football begins, but depth is a mounting concern on the back end.