FLOWERY BRANCH – Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, understandably, was quick to welcome center Alex Mack to the team.
Before the ink could dry on Mack’s five-year, $45 million contract, Ryan was on the phone.
“He reached out after it was announced,” Mack said Thursday. “He was like really excited. He was like welcome. I reciprocated that and told him that I was really happy to be here. I was ready to get to work and make some really good things happen on the field.”
Mack, a three-time Pro Bowler, was signed to help stabilize the Falcons’ offensive line. He was signed from the Cleveland Browns. The Falcons’ offensive line has struggled since Todd McClure returned after the 2012 season, and Ryan has paid the price.
Ryan has been sacked 105 times over the past three seasons. He was sacked 113 times over the previous six seasons when McClure was in charge of the offensive line protections and signal calls. Mack, who’s played a season in the system the Falcons use, will take over those duties.
In addition to signing Mack, the Falcons signed wide receiver Mohamed Sanu to a five-year, $32.5 million contract to essentially replace Roddy White, the franchise’s all-team leading receiver who was released.
They also signed defensive ends Derrick Selby and Adrian Clayborn, who played here last season. Falcons defensive end Vic Beasley approved of both moves.
“To compete in the league, you’re got to have good players,” Beasley said while at Clemson’s Pro Day. “We are starting to build a great defense in Atlanta.”
Mack has spent his entire career in Cleveland, playing in the rugged AFC North against Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Cincinnati twice a year.
“There are a lot of really good down linemen,” Mack said. “I know that last year playing Aaron Donald, he’s a really talented rusher. He’s very quick and did some really explosive things for the Rams. Michael Bennett in Seattle, he has a lot of talent.”
Mack said he’ll have to get familiar with the interior lineman of the NFC South. He might want to start by getting a reel out of Tampa Bay’s Gerald McCoy.
“It definitely is going to be a bit of a learning curve,” Mack said. “I’ll have to spend some extra time in the film room to really get prepared.”
Mack said the praises of Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, who was Cleveland’s coordinator in 2014.
“It’s a system that I’m comfortable with,” Mack said. “I really like how the system works. I thought we had a good thing going. It made me very comfortable knowing that it is an offensive system that I knew and played well in.”
Mack is familiar with Falcons left guard Andy Levitre, but will have to meet the rest of the group.
“Me and Andy came out in the same year’s draft,” Mack said. “We played in the Senior Bowl together. We’ve been around and we’ve talked. He was up in Buffalo and I used to see him in the (exhibition) season every year. So, I have some relationship with him, but that’s pretty much about it.”
He has meet and talked with offensive line coach Chris Morgan.
“I’ve heard great things about the guys here,” Mack said. “I think that the culture in the (offensive) line room from my talks with Chris will be great. I’m fired up and excited to become a part of this.”
Sanu was one of the most productive of the free-agent candidates after being selected in the third-round of the 2012 draft out of Rutgers. Sanu has played in 57 games and has made 34 starts.
He has 152 catches for 1,793 yards and 11 touchdowns. In a 24-10 win over the Falcons on Sept. 14, 2014, the college quarterback tossed a 50-yard to running back Ben Tate on a flanker reverse-pass. He also had a 76-yard touchdown reception in that game.
Also, the Falcons had visit from defensive end Chris Long and are sent to visit linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, a former first-round pick of the team. He played with Arizona last season.
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