Falcons sign 3 UFL standouts, release Casey Washington and 2 others

FLOWERY BRANCH — The Falcons swapped three spots on their roster Wednesday after mandatory minicamp, adding a trio of United Football League players and parting ways with a group headlined by receiver Casey Washington.

The Falcons signed edge rusher Keshawn Banks, defensive tackle Devonnsha Maxwell and receiver Antwane Wells Jr., they announced in a press release. In correspondence, the team released Washington, defensive lineman Elijah Garcia and linebacker CJ Nunnally IV.

Banks finished sixth in the UFL with five sacks for the Orlando Storm this past season. He added 24 tackles and 11 tackles for loss. The 6-foot-3, 251-pounder spent 2023 with the Green Bay Packers and played in three games for the New England Patriots in 2024.

Maxwell, 27, hails from Valdosta and played collegiately at Chattanooga. After going undrafted in 2023, he signed with the Cincinnati Bengals but missed the season with an injury and was released during training camp in 2024.

At 6-foot-1 and 284 pounds, he won the 2025 UFL Championship with the DC Defenders and recorded 23 tackles, seven tackles for loss and four sacks in 2026.

Wells, whose college career included stops at James Madison, South Carolina and Ole Miss, doubled as a receiver and return specialist for the Columbus Aviators. He made 25 receptions for 237 yards and two touchdowns while returning 16 kickoffs for 205 yards, the second-most in the league.

Garcia played three games with the Falcons last season, while Nunnally signed as an undrafted free agent out of Purdue.

Washington, a sixth-round pick in 2024, played in 15 games and made a pair of starts across two seasons with the Falcons. He caught seven passes for 108 yards. Much of his production came in seven appearances last season, when he made six catches for 94 yards.