FLOWERY BRANCH — The Falcons reached an agreement on a one-year contract with safety James Sanders, according to his agent. The sides agreed to terms late Tuesday after Sanders worked out for the team earlier in the day.
An official announcement of a signing has not been made. The Falcons must release a player from their 80-man roster. The team made no roster move Wednesday, a day before hosting the Ravens in its exhibition-season finale.
Sanders, a fourth-round draft pick of the Patriots in 2005, was released earlier this week. In six seasons with the Patriots, Sanders had 301 tackles and eight interceptions in 84 regular-season games, including 50 starts. He can also play free safety.
Sanders was scheduled to make $2.8 million with New England.
Salary-cap relief?
The Falcons, who took a $6.4 million salary-cap hit during the 2009 season after releasing quarterback Michael Vick in June of that year, may receive some relief from the league.
“It is being reviewed,” league spokesman Greg Aiello wrote in an email to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “No determination has been made.”
Etc.
The NFL and NFL Charities donated $1 million to The Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, according to the project’s leadership. The gift will support the memorial on the National Mall honoring King. ... In addition to the Falcons being picked to win the Super Bowl in this week’s edition of Sports Illustrated, 10 players are on Sporting News’ NFC South All-Division team: tight end Tony Gonzalez, running back Michael Turner, wide receiver Roddy White, defensive end John Abraham, defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux, outside linebacker Stephen Nicholas, cornerback Dunta Robinson, strong safety William Moore, kicker Matt Bryant and kickoff and punt returner Eric Weems.
Staff writer D. Orlando Ledbetter contributed to this article.
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