Just three days after signing with the Falcons, 10-year veteran wide receiver Lance Moore elected to retire on Monday instead of trying to work his way into Atlanta’s increasingly deep receiving corps.
Though Moore’s veteran savvy would have been a nice addition to the Falcons, head coach Dan Quinn and No. 1 receiver Julio Jones don’t lament Moore’s decision to step away.
“I have a lot of respect for him,” Quinn said. “I thought it was real admirable, his approach. What a pro, to say, hey, my heart’s not in it. I want to make sure I’m not taking the opportunity from someone else.”
Moore tried out in San Diego last week, but after the Chargers elected to sign former Green Bay Packer James Jones, Moore signed with the Falcons in time to practice Sunday. In a Monday post on his Facebook page, he thanked the team for the opportunity but stated his feelings for the game had changed.
“I’ve dedicated more than twenty years of my life to this sport and I always prided myself in playing for the right reasons and respecting the game,” Moore wrote. “At this point if I were to continue to play, I would no longer be doing that.”
Moore told Jones he did not want to stand in the way of some of the team’s younger talents.
“He was coming in late and we have a lot of young guys,” Jones said. “He respected everything the young guys were doing and he didn’t want to come in and basically pull the vet card and take a guy’s spot.”
One of the younger talents Jones may have been referencing is Aldrick Robinson, who played with Washington from 2011-14 and was on Baltimore’s practice squad the past two years. He signed with the Falcons on March 15.
In the Falcons’ preliminary depth chart released Sunday, the 5-foot-10 Robinson is listed with the second unit with second-year receiver Justin Hardy, ahead of Nick Williams, who caught 17 passes for 159 yards and two touchdowns in his first season with Atlanta. Jones and Mohamed Sanu comprise the first unit.
The emergence of Robinson builds upon a new mixture of youth and veterans. In his first two seasons with Washington, the Robinson accumulated 29 receptions, 602 yards and five touchdowns.
Due to his size, Robinson has often been labeled as a slot receiver. But he has been determined to prove to the Falcons that his value goes beyond just one role.
“It’s a hard thing to shake out of,” Robinson said of his perception. “You have to continue to work on the little things so every day, you can show what you can do.”
Jones has taken notice of Robinson’s work ethic.
“He’s definitely a great guy,’’ said Jones. “He’s a great deep ball threat, great speed, great hands. He’s going to be another addition to the team down the field.”
Jones said Robinson and the whole receiving corps continue to try to get better with daily help from the other side of the ball.
“It’s just coming out here competing. The defense has got to help us,” explained Jones. “We come out here, we’re going to give those guys (the defense) the deep routes. … Those guys have to help us get better in our technique.”
One of Atlanta’s biggest goals over the offseason was to create more versatility and Quinn likes the way the offense has added mix-and-match playmakers to give quarterback Matt Ryan more options.
“It’s really valuable for guys to have multiple positions,” Quinn said. “Offensively, defensively and honestly, a lot of times it’s about matchups. How can we create one offensively against a scheme or player? Training camp and the OTAs, it’s absolutely what it’s for.”
About the Author
