Falcons acquire CB Hill from Rams

The Falcons traded a seventh-round pick in the 2010 draft to St. Louis for Hill, who was the 15th pick in the 2006 draft, on Tuesday.

Fudge and Hill have remained friends since entering the NFL. “I invited him to my wedding four months ago,” Fudge said. “He just got married two months ago, and he invited me to his wedding.”

Hill likely will not play in the Falcons’ exhibition season finale against the Baltimore Ravens at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Georgia Dome.

“He’s a guy that is going to have an opportunity to come in here and compete,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said. “Anytime we can upgrade our roster, that’s something that we want to do.”

Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff didn’t waste time making a move at the cornerback position after porous performances by cornerbacks Chris Houston and Brent Grimes against San Diego on Saturday, when the Chargers converted 7 of 8 third downs in the first half and 11 of 18 in the game.

Hill will be expected to compete for one of the starting positions. He entered last season as the Rams’ starting left cornerback, a position that has been problematic for the Falcons since they traded DeAngelo Hall in March 2008.

Brent Grimes began the 2008 season as the starter, but eventually he was replaced by Domonique Foxworth. In the offseason, Foxworth left as a free agent, signing a four-year, $27.2 million deal with Baltimore.

Hill is set to make $1.037 million this season and $1.375 in 2010.

Hill, who has been a disappointment in St. Louis, failed to impress first-year coach Steve Spagnuolo and his staff.

He also had an injury-plagued stay with the Rams. Hill played in 10 games as a rookie, eight games the following season and four last season after he tore cartilage in his knee. He started 21 of the 28 games.

“I know him somewhat,” said Emmitt Thomas, the Falcons’ assistant head coach/secondary. “We look at all of the top guys coming out. I remember when he was coming out of Clemson. He was a guy about 5-10, real fast and quick.”

Last season, the Falcons acquired Foxworth in a trade five days before the start of the regular season, and he won the left cornerback position in late October.

“The management knows what they are going,” safety Erik Coleman said. “They do a great job of piecing together the team.”

Coleman is no stranger to Hill, either. “I just met Tye Hill this offseason,” Coleman said. “He’s a great guy. I’m looking forward to playing with him.”