Atlanta Falcons Release Rex Grossman, T.J. Yates
The Atlanta Falcons announced on Friday that they have parted ways with quarterbacks Rex Grossman and T.J. Yates, D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports.
#Falcons cut TJ Yates and Rex Grossman
— D. Orlando Ledbetter (@DOrlandoAJC) September 4, 2015
The 35-year-old Rex Grossman was signed by the Atlanta Falcons a week ago to provide depth at the quarterback position during the preseason. Grossman was attempting a comeback and looking to backup starting quarterback Matt Ryan while competing against both T.J. Yates and Sean Renfree.
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After a disappointing performance during Thursday’s final preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens, the veteran quarterback’s reunion with Offensive Coordinator Kyle Shanahan turned out to be short-lived. Grossman will not have to pass through waivers and will immediately become a free agent. Grossman last played in 2011 as a member of the Washington Redskins.
The Atlanta Falcons also released quarterback T.J. Yates on Friday. The Marietta native and Pope High School grad was Matt Ryan’s primary backup last season. T.J. Yates struggled the entire preseason with his consistency, and did not appear in Thursday’s game against the Ravens. Yates last played against the Miami Dolphins, where he completed 18 of 28 passes for 187 yards. He had a passer rating of 83.5.
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Yates is still young enough and has seen enough action in the NFL that he should be an attractive free-agent target for other teams. The release of both Yates and Grossman signal that the Atlanta Falcons are comfortable with Sean Renfree going forward as their backup. Renfree played well against the Ravens on Friday, completing 10-of-15 passes for 75 yards and 1 touchdown to go along with a passer rating of 100.7.
Another aspect of the release of both Renfree and Grossman is that Renfree was drafted by Thomas Dimitroff out of Duke in 7th round of the 2013 draft, indicating that the organization wanted to develop one of their own.
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The Atlanta Falcons also parted ways with S Sean Baker, LB Terrell Manning, T Jake Rogers, G Jared Smith, CB Kevin White and DE Cliff Matthews, further trimming their roster.
In addition to Yates and Grossman, #Falcons have waived S S. Baker, LB T. Manning, T J. Rodgers, G J. Smith, CB K White and DE C Matthews.
— D. Orlando Ledbetter (@DOrlandoAJC) September 4, 2015
This latest batch of cuts means that the Falcons now have a majority of their opening day roster in place and can go forward preparing for their Week 1 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football.
With Sean Renfree now as the the number 2 quarterback, and the release of both Grossman and Yates, perhaps another trade is in the works to acquire another quarterback? We will wait in see in the coming week before the first game of the season. Football is upon us! Rise Up!
Next: Atlanta Falcons Trade for OG Andy Levitre from Titans
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