Shortly before kickoff in their fourth and final exhibition game of 2011, the Falcons signed some help for their secondary on Thursday.
Before the meaningless game, with several starters strolling the sidelines in athletic clothes, cornerback Kelvin Hayden and safety James Sanders officially were added to the team after they both signed one-year contracts.
Hayden, formerly of the Indianapolis Colts, and Sanders, formerly of the New England Patriots, did not participate in the game against the Baltimore Ravens at the Georgia Dome.
Several key starters — quarterback Matt Ryan, wide receiver Roddy White, running back Michael Turner, tight end Tony Gonzalez, right tackle Tyson Clabo and defensive end John Abraham and defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux — also did not play.
Despite ranking 22nd in the NFL against the pass last season and allowing 366 yards and three touchdowns to Green Bay in the divisional round of the playoffs, the Falcons did not draft a defensive back. They had ignored the veteran free-agent market until now.
“I believe that we accomplished what we were looking to accomplish in the offseason,” Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff said Thursday before kickoff. “We can start focusing on the regular season. I’m proud with what we have on the field at this point.”
The Falcons signed free-agent cornerback Dunta Robinson to a six-year, $57 million contract last offseason. Nnamdi Asomugha was the top cornerback on the market this season, and he signed a six-year contract worth $60 million with the Philadelphia Eagles.
With a slew of their own key players coming up for new deals in cornerback Brent Grimes, quarterback Matt Ryan, left tackle Sam Baker and linebacker Curtis Lofton, the Falcons couldn’t mortgage the future by signing Asomugha.
They elected to spend most of their available funds on defensive end Ray Edwards, who signed a five-year, $30 million deal July 29. They backed out of the bidding for defensive end Charles Johnson, when Carolina made him a lucrative offer.
Dimitroff stated that the team would be “fiscally responsible” and on the prowl for “salary-cap casualties.”
Both Hayden, who can take his Super Bowl XLI ring into the locker room, and Sanders, who has a Super Bowl appearance, were cut by their teams. Hayden was set to make $8.6 million and Sanders $2.8 million this season.
“They fall in line with the type of players that we are looking for,” Dimitroff said. “They are competitive, driven and focused individuals. So we are encouraged and excited about having them on the team.”
Hayden will have a shot to win the nickel-back position.
“Kelvin is a guy that’s a proven and legitimate corner in this league,” Dimitroff said. “He’s a very fast and athletic individual who’s aggressive. He’s a hard-nosed guy and knows what it’s like to be around a winning program.”
Hayden, the hero of Super Bowl XLI with a late interception against Chicago, , has been hit with the injury bug. He has not played in all 16 games since the 2007 season.
Hayden missed the last four games of last season with a neck injury.
Sanders has played in 84 games and made 50 starts for the Patriots. However, he has not been able to retain starting jobs in each of the past two seasons.
“We believe that James can be a fine addition to this football team and this defense,” said Dimitroff, who worked for the Patriots when Sanders was drafted. “He is a tough, hard-nosed football player who has a really fine understanding of the game. He comes from a historic winning organization. He will be a fine addition to this team.”
The Falcons have to cut down to 53 players by 6 p.m. Saturday and may not be finished adding players.
“We will continue to monitor the cuts this weekend,” Dimitroff said.
Etc.
The Falcons promoted Rich McKay to president and chief executive officer. McKay, who’s also chairman of the NFL’s powerful competition committee, was previously president of the Falcons. McKay, also an attorney, joined the Falcons in 2003. ... The Falcons waived quarterback Adam Froman and offensive lineman Matt Murphy before the game to make room for Hayden and Sanders.
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