Falcons to Sign WR Brian Robiskie

Dec. 16, 2012; Glendale, AZ, USA: Detroit Lions wide receiver Brian Robiskie (80) against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Cardinals defeated the Lions 38-10. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

It was certainly assumed, in the aftermath of the Julio Jones injury, that the Falcons would at least attempt to acquire some veteran wide receiver depth, and on Wednesday night, that became reality.

Former Ohio State and Cleveland Browns wide receiver will be joining the fold, and as you can see by the above Tweet from D. Orlando Ledbetter, he has a unique connection to the team already. Robiskie will be coached directly by his father, Terry, who is the Falcons wide receiver coach.

While his signing likely has something to do with Terry Robiskie being on the staff, Brian Robiskie doesn’t come without pedigree. He’s a former 2nd-round pick (2009), and he’s filled a role with 3 different NFL teams including the Jaguars and Lions. The 6-foot-4 receiver fits into the shoes of Jones as a big target, but clearly, the upside is limited, as he only has 485 career yards over 5 NFL seasons.

In the short term, the Falcons will certainly roll with the trio of Roddy White (if he can play), Harry Douglas, and Tony Gonzalez as their primary pass-catchers, but there will almost certainly be another wideout that sees a huge increase in field time. That is now a battle between incumbents Kevin Cone (a local product and special-teams guru from Georgia Tech) and Drew Davis (the 2nd-year WR from Oregon), as well as Robiskie, but we won’t know the final result for at least 10 days.

Keep an eye on the waiver wire, as the Falcons could certainly make another move (or two) in the coming days.