FLOWERY BRANCH -- Garrett Reynolds, a former fifth-round pick, was named the right guard starter by Falcons coach Mike Smith after Monday's practice.
The opening on the offensive line arose after Harvey Dahl signed with the St. Louis Rams during free agency. Mike Johnson and Reynolds competed for the spot.
Reynolds worked with the first team when training camp opened. The plan was to rotate both players, but Johnson’s bid was sidetracked when he suffered a concussion. He was in the league’s concussion protocol for more than a week.
“Through the entire training camp it was an open competition,” Smith said. “We felt that after considering the entire body of work, he definitely earned the starting job.”
Reynolds, who will make his first career start, was pleased with getting the nod for Sunday's game against the Chicago Bears.
"I just want to continue to grow every week," Reynolds said. "I learned at lot out there playing with those guys.”
Reynolds, a 2009 fifth-round draft pick, is huge for a guard at 6-foot-7 and 310 pounds. He was drafted as a tackle, but has been trained to play both spots over the last two seasons.
Johnson, who's 6-6 and 304 pounds, was taken in the third round of last year's draft.
Reynolds has a huge role to fill because Dahl was such an aggressive and nasty player. Reynolds believes he can provide that same level of nastiness.
“I learned a lot from Harvey,” Reynolds said.
Two QB group
The Falcons, like 11 other teams, enter the season with just two quarterbacks on the 53-man roster. Last season, 16 teams opened the season with two quarterbacks.
“It’s a different season in terms of what the rules state; there is no third quarterback,” Smith said. “You have a 53-man roster like we have had in years past. Now we have a game-day, 46-man roster.”
The Falcons will likely use that 46th slot for a special-teams player. Also, if there is a quarterback emergency, wide receiver Kerry Meier played quarterback at Kansas before being converted to wide receiver.
Injury report
Cornerback Dunta Robinson (hamstring) and defensive end Lawrence Sidbury (ankle) returned to practice. Defensive tackle Corey Peters (knee) is close to returning while center Todd McClure (knee surgery) has been declared out of the Chicago game.
Practice squad
Tight end Marquez Branson was added to the practice squad on Monday morning. He fills out the squad at eight members.
The Falcons signed safety Rafael Bush, wide receiver Kevin Cone, wide receiver Drew Davis, guard Andrew Jackson, linebacker Robert James, tackle Jose Valdez and quarterback John Parker Wilson to their practice squad on Sunday.
“You like to always keep your own because those are guys that you’ve worked with and developed,” Smith said.
Under the new collective bargaining agreement, players can stay on the practice squad for three seasons so the Falcons were able to re-sign Valdez.
“It caught me off guard, too,” said Valdez, who thought his practice squad time had expired.
Twins for the Bryants
Three is more than a jersey number to the Bryant family.
Kicker Matt Bryant and his wife, Melissa, welcomed twins on Saturday (Sept. 3) with the birth of William Triton (four pounds, seven ounces) and Isabella Tristan (three pounds, seven ounces). Byrant, who wears No. 3, reported that mother and children are doing well in a local NIC unit.
It is the second and third child for the Bryants, who have a son, Steven Tre. Yet another son, Matthew Tryson, died at three months old in 2008 of sudden infant death syndrome.
Walls makes it
Cornerback Darrin Walls, a free agent from Notre Dame, tried his best to keep his mind off the impending roster moves as the team cut to 53 players. Walls made the team when he was not informed to turn in his playbook.
“On defense, I think I made some plays early in camp and throughout camp," Walls said. "In the games, I did some good things. There are some things that have to be corrected.”
Staff Writer Chris Vivlamore contributed to this article.
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