Atlanta Falcons 2019 Free Agency Tracker

Editor's note: The Falcons 2019 Free Agency Tracker will be updated regularly to include the team's latest moves in free agency.

UPDATED: Monday, April 22 at 4:02 p.m. ET

NFL free agency has officially begun, and The Falcons 2019 Free Agency Tracker is here to keep you updated on all of the team's moves in the coming weeks. The tracker will also include players who were pending free agents but were re-signed by the Falcons prior to the start of the new league year.

Below, you'll find a list of the moves the Falcons have made this free agency period – the most recent moves will be listed first – as well as links to the stories we've written for each individual signing.

At the bottom of this tracker, we will have a section showing where former Falcons players end up signing.

J.J. Wilcox

• Position: Safety
• Contract: One year
• 2018 team: Indianapolis Colts and New York Jets
• Why he fits with the team: Wilcox's most notable run came with the Dallas Cowboys, who drafted him in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft. During his four seasons in Dallas, Wilcox started 38 games as a safety and recorded 212 tackles, 15 pass defenses, five interceptions and three fumble recoveries. Wilcox offers yet more veteran depth for the Falcons at the safety position.

Ra'Shede Hageman

• Position: Defensive tackle
• Contract: One year
• Why he fits with the team: Hageman has familiarity with Atlanta's defensive scheme and he gives the Falcons more size and depth at defensive tackle, a position of need for Atlanta.

John Wetzel

• Position: Offensive line
• Contract: One year
• 2018 team: Arizona Cardinals
• Why he fits with the team: Wetzel gives the Falcons more depth and versatility on the offensive line. He can play both guard and tackle and also comes to Atlanta with starting experience.

Chris Odom

• Position: Defensive end
• Contract: Two years
• 2018 team: Salt Lake Stallions (AAF)
• Why he fits with the team: In his first stint with the Falcons in 2017, Odom shined during the preseason. He recorded 15 tackles, four tackles for loss and two sacks in four games. He didn't make the final 53-man roster and was then claimed off waivers by the Green Bay Packers. Odom gives the Falcons depth at a position of need and he has familiarity in the scheme Atlanta runs.

Tyeler Davison

• Position: Defensive tackle
• Contract: One year
• 2018 team: New Orleans Saints
• Why he fits with the team: Davison, 26, was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL Draft. For much of his four seasons with the Saints, Davison was a starter on their defensive line. He has recorded 95 tackles, nine tackles for a loss, 3.5 sacks and three forced fumbles since entering the league.

Chris Cooper

• Position: Safety
• Contract: Two years
• 2018 team: Kansas City Chiefs
• Why he fits with the team: Cooper, 25, was last with the Kansas City Chiefs as part of their practice squad for the 2018 postseason. A depth piece for the secondary entering offseason workouts, Cooper still has plenty of room to improve and is entering only his second NFL season.

Afolabi Laguda

• Position: Safety
• Contract: Two years
• 2018 team: Los Angeles Rams
• Why he fits with the team: Laguda, 24, was a safety with the Los Angeles Rams as a rookie prior to the 2018 season, but he was placed on injured reserve with an undisclosed injury following the preseason and was later waived. The Falcons need to add depth in the secondary, and Laguda is still young enough to develop.

Adrian Clayborn

• Position: Defensive end
• Contract: One year
• 2018 team: New England Patriots
• Why he fits with the team: Clayborn makes his return to Atlanta for his second stint with the Falcons. The defensive end played for Dan Quinn's team from 2015-17 where he was a very productive player for the Falcons. During his three seasons with the Falcons, he recorded 58 tackles, 18 tackles for loss and 17 sacks.

Adam Gettis

• Position: Guard
• Contract: One year
• 2018 team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Why he fits with the team: Gettis is the third offensive guard the Falcons have signed this offseason, joining James Carpenter and Jamon Brown. The offensive line was an area of need for the team following last season, and the Falcons continue to take steps towards addressing it. Gettis has played in 17 games during his career and has made one start.

Kemal Ishmael

• Position: Linebacker
• Contract: One year
• 2018 team: Atlanta Falcons
• Why he fits with the team: Ishmael, 27, was drafted by the Falcons in the seventh round of the 2013 NFL Draft. Originally a safety, Ishmael has become utilized more in a reserve linebacker role as his career has progressed. With the addition of Ishmael, Atlanta now has seven linebackers on its roster.

Justin Hardy

• Position: Wide receiver
• Contract: One year
• 2018 team: Atlanta Falcons
• Why he fits with the team: Hardy was drafted by the Falcons in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL Draft. During his four seasons with the Falcons, Hardy proved himself to be a reliable reserve receiver and a core part of Atlanta's special teams, returning 20 punts for 147 yards in 2018. Hardy has caught 76 passes in his career for 751 yards and nine touchdowns.

Logan Paulsen

• Position: Tight end
• Contract: One year
• 2018 team: Atlanta Falcons
• Why he fits with the team: The 32-year-old Paulsen is an eight-year veteran and he knows this offense well. Paulsen was signed by the Falcons prior to the 2018 season and went on to catch nine passes for 91 yards and a touchdown. Paulsen's strength, however, is as a blocker and he returns to a position group that now includes Luke Stocker, Austin Hooper, Eric Saubert, Alex Gray and Jaeden Graham.

Kenjon Barner

• Position: Running back
• Contract: One year
• 2018 team: New England Patriots/Carolina Panthers
• Why he fits with the team: By signing Barner, the Falcons gained a third running back and a primary competitor to handle kick and punt return duties. It's on special teams that Barner will likely have the biggest impact for the Falcons, but the veteran running back should add some depth to the backfield as well.

Luke Stocker

• Position: Tight end
• Contract: Two years
• 2018 team: Tennessee Titans
• Why he fits with the team: Stocker, 30, is primarily known as a run-blocking tight end and he should be very comfortable arriving in Atlanta, as he has played under both Falcons offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter and tight ends coach Mike Mularkey during his eight-year NFL career. Stocker only has 577 career receiving yards and five touchdowns, but he should be an asset in the run game.

James Carpenter

• Position: Left guard
• Contract: Reports indicate four years
• 2018 team: New York Jets
• Why he fits with the team: The addition of Carpenter gives the Falcons a solid, veteran option at the guard spot to help offset the loss of Andy Levitre and sure up the pass protection, which Kelsey Conway explains in greater detail. "Carpenter is another big body to help protect Matt Ryan," Conway writes. "He is 6-foot-5 and 321 pounds and has the veteran experience the Falcons were missing inside at guard in 2018. According to Pro Football Focus, Carpenter allowed five sacks, five quarterback hits and 13 pressures, all of which were the lowest among the Jets' offensive linemen."

Jamon Brown

• Position: Right guard
• Contract: Reports indicate three years
• 2018 team: Los Angeles Rams/New York Giants
• Why he fits with the team: Bringing in Brown will go a long way towards adding size to the Falcons' offensive line, which Kelsey Conway explains in her evaluation of Brown. "At 6-foot-4, 340 pounds, Brown's physicality jumps off the tape," Conway writes. He played tackle in college but was moved inside when he got to the NFL. His power and ability to move defensive linemen off the line of scrimmage is his biggest strength. He can also move well for his size, something the Falcons require of their offensive linemen in the zone-blocking scheme."

Grady Jarrett

• Position: Defensive tackle
• Contract: Franchise tag
• 2018 team: Atlanta Falcons
• Why he fits with the team: The Falcons are still hoping to reach a long-term agreement with Jarrett, 25, and the franchise tag will keep him in Atlanta for the 2019 season while the two sides continue to work on securing his future with the team. Jarrett is one of the top penetrating defensive tackles in the NFL who has grown as a leader in both the Falcons' locker room and in the community.

Matt Schaub

• Position: Quarterback
• Contract: Two years
• 2018 team: Atlanta Falcons
• Why he fits with the team: Schaub, 37, has rarely been needed on the field during his past few seasons in Atlanta, but he is a valuable person off of it. His experience in the NFL is a plus for starter Matt Ryan and the offense, as a whole. Schaub's knowledge of the Falcons' scheme makes him a good person to have in the quarterback room.

Blidi Wreh-Wilson

• Position: Cornerback
• Contract: One year
• 2018 team: Atlanta Falcons
• Why he fits with the team: Wreh-Wilson, 29, has been with the Falcons since the 2016 season and has proven to be a dependable backup at the cornerback position. With the team releasing starter Robert Alford and the expectation that Brian Poole will be a free agent, Wreh-Wilson will be a needed bit of depth for the Falcons.

Ty Sambrailo

• Position: Offensive line
• Contract: Three years
• 2017 team: Atlanta Falcons
• Why he fits with the team: Sambrailo, 26, started the final four games of the season for the Falcons, playing both right tackle and left guard during that stretch. Offensive line is an area the Falcons are expected to address this offseason, but Sambrailo has been the team's primary backup swing tackle during his time in Atlanta. It remains to be seen whether the Falcons signed the former second-round draft pick to maintain depth or if he will be given a shot at a starting role.

Steven Means

• Position: Defensive end
• Contract: One year
• 2017 team: Atlanta Falcons
• Why he fits with the team: The Falcons are likely to continue addressing this position in free agency or the draft, but Means, 28, was a solid rotational piece for the Falcons in 2018. The team clearly saw enough in Means to believe he can have a similar or expanded role moving forward.

Bruce Carter

• Position: Linebacker
• Contract: One year
• 2017 team: Atlanta Falcons
• Why he fits with the team: "He picks up on stuff really quickly," rookie linebacker Foyesade Oluokun said of Carter, 31, during the season. "I listen to him when he's talking to coach and he helps our room out a lot because he has so much experience. We help him out with the calls and he helps us out with the plays to expect." Carter's signing provides the Falcons with veteran depth and knowledge at the linebacker position.

WHERE FORMER FALCONS PLAYERS HAVE SIGNED

• DE Bruce Irvin - Carolina Panthers
• CB Justin Bethel - Baltimore Ravens
• RB Tevin Coleman - San Francisco 49ers
• WR Marvin Hall - Chicago Bears
• CB Brian Poole - New York Jets