Atlanta Falcons agree to 2-year contract with center Joe Hawley

Dec 1, 2013; Toronto, ON, Canada; Atlanta Falcons center Joe Hawley (61) waits to snap the ball to quarterback Matt Ryan (2) against the Buffalo Bills at the Rogers Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

Update: The deal is now official after an announcement from the team.

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According to at least one report, the in-house signings keep coming with regard to the Atlanta Falcons, as the team has reportedly inked veteran interior offensive lineman Joe Hawley to a 2-year contract to stay in Atlanta.

Adam Caplan brings word that the team has signed the 25-year-old center, and while the financial terms were undisclosed at this time, it is almost clearly going to be a pay increase for Hawley. The Falcons were long to have rumored to want Hawley back as a utility piece to their offensive line, and he was able to take over the reins at center mid-season from a struggling Peter Konz.

Part of Hawley’s potential value is that he can play both guard and center spots, but at this time, he is projected to be the team’s starting center in 2014, and if the team follows through on rumors that they will sign Jon Asamoah, that will fortify that belief. Until the financials are known, it will be difficult to fully evaluate this move, but in the meantime, it is nice to see a piece like Hawley renewed, and if he plays like he did down the stretch of 2013, the Falcons should be able to extract plenty of value moving forward.