Cornerback Javier Arenas, who’s also a returner, agreed to a one-year contract with the Falcons on Tuesday.
Arenas, a former star at Alabama, was drafted in the second round (50th overall) by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2010 draft. Falcons assistant general manager Scott Pioli was Kansas City’s GM at the time.
Arenas, 26, who played three seasons with the Chiefs, played with Arizona last season. He has played in 63 games and made 12 starts.
Arenas has 106 career NFL punt returns for 1,029 yards (9.7 per return) and 74 kickoff returns for 1,568 yards (21.2 yards per return).
Arenas also has played some on offense. He scored his first career touchdown on a 7-yard run in 2011.
Last season with Arizona, he played in all 16 games and had 12 tackles with one sack. He returned 24 kickoffs for 493 yards and a career-best 21.4 yards per return average.
With the Falcons looking to spruce up their return game, they also met with former Chicago Bears returner Devin Hester on Tuesday and with Trindon Holliday over the weekend. Holliday later signed a one-year contract with the New York Giants.
Hester, 31, who played at the University of Miami, has expressed a desire to play for the Miami Dolphins.
Hester led the league in kickoff-return yardage last season and was used in a limited role as a punt returner.
Jacquizz Rodgers handled the Falcons’ kickoff-return duties last season, and Robert McClain was the main punt returner. The Falcons finished 10th in kickoff-return average (24.4 yards) and 20th in punts (8.2 yards) in 2013.
The dangerous Hester has returned 13 punts and five kickoffs for touchdowns in his career. Holliday, a three-year veteran speedster, has two punts and two kickoffs for touchdowns.
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