Falcons re-sign receiver Hardy to one-year deal

Wide receiver Justin Hardy, a dependable reserve receiver and punt returner, agreed to terms on a one-year contract with the Falcons on Thursday.

Hardy, a fourth-round pick by the Falcons in 2015, caught 14 passes for 133 yards and two touchdowns last season.

He also became the team’s punt returner last season. He had 20 punt returns for 147 yards (7.4 yards per return) with a long return of 18 yards.

He had two kickoff returns for 7 yards.

He will be the top punt returner on the depth chart. The Falcons signed Kenjon Barner in free agency, but Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff said he’s a kick returner.

“We feel that we have a couple of guys on our team that we’re going to mix in there without getting into details right now,” Dimitroff said. “Draft-wise, there are some interesting guys out there.”

Hardy, who played at East Carolina, has seen action in a total of 57 games with five starts. He has 76 career catches for 751 yards (9.9 yards per reception) and nine touchdowns.

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