FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. – Today's Early Bird Report includes the best undrafted player in franchise history as well as information on the NFL's schedule release.
Enjoy!
FALCONS HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY
ESPN: Best undrafted player in every NFL team's history
There are plenty of stories about later-round draft picks who go on to become superstar, such as Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown. But what about those players who don't get drafted at all?
ESPN recently asked its NFL Nation writers to name the best undrafted players for each team, and the Falcons might just have one of the best. Linebacker Jessie Tuggle, the franchise's all-time leading tackler and a Ring of Honor member, was picked by Vaughn McClure as the team's best undrafted pick. Here is what McClure had to say about his selection:
"The Georgia native and Valdosta State product is a member of the franchise's Ring of Honor for his accomplishments over his 14 seasons with the team. He is the Falcons' all-time leading tackler with 2,065 stops and had 12 straight seasons with 100-plus tackles. Tuggle, who once had 24 tackles in a game, was named to five Pro Bowls. He's the father of current Falcons standout nose tackle Grady Jarrett."
Here are more articles for Falcons fans:
BIGGEST NEWS FROM AROUND THE NFL
NFL.com: NFL to release 2018 regular-season schedule Thursday
The NFL's 2018 regular-season schedule will be announced Thursday via an exclusive airing of the *2018 NFL Schedule Release Presented by Verizon, *which will take place on the NFL Network at 8 p.m. ET.
Teams have already learned which opponents they will face next season, and you can see all of the matchups for the Falcons, right here. We also know what the Falcons' preseason schedule looks like – check that out, here.
What we don't know is how Atlanta's regular-season schedule will unfold. It's true that each team still has to play every team on its schedule, regardless of the order, but sometimes that order can make a big difference. A really early bye week can affect a team come playoff time, and a long stretch of road games may leave players a little more tired than normal.
We'll find out how the Falcons' schedule shakes out on Thursday night.
Here are some more articles from around the league:
- NFL.com: Top 18 matchups of 2018
- CBS Sports: Aaron Rodgers responds to ‘frustration’ reports
- The Ringer: Mock draft: What could happen if Josh Allen goes No. 1?
