The Atlanta Falcons today announced that they have released (non-football injury) linebacker Lofa Tatupu and placed defensive tackle Corey Peters on the active, non-football injury list. The Falcons also announced that they have signed defensive tackle Elisha Joseph and wide receiver Tim Toone, and waived safety Chad Faulcon.
Tatupu, 6-0, 250 pounds, was originally selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the second round (45th overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft. He was released by Seattle on July 31, 2011. Tatupu was signed by the Falcons as a free agent on March 10, 2012. In six seasons with the Seahawks, he notched 549 tackles (407 solo), 8.5 sacks, 10 interceptions, seven forced fumbles, 35 passes defensed and two defensive touchdowns. Tatupu was named to the NFC Pro Bowl team in 2005, 2006 and 2007 while also earning All-Pro honors in 2007.
Peters, 6-3, 305 pounds, was originally selected by the Falcons in the third round (83rd overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft. In two seasons in Atlanta, he has emerged as a stalwart member of the defensive line starting 30 of 31 career games while recording 73 tackles (57 solo), 4.0 sacks, one interception, one fumble recovery and three passes defensed. Peters will remain on the active roster, but will not be able to participate in practice until he passes a physical.
Joseph, 6-3, 275 pounds, was originally signed by the Green Bay Packers as a college free agent in 2011. He was signed to the Pittsburgh Steelers practice squad on October 18, 2011. Joseph played in 48 games with 19 starts during his collegiate career at Temple and registered 97 tackles, including 6.5 tackles for loss, and one sack.
Toone, 5-10, 185 pounds, was originally selected by the Detroit Lions in the seventh round (255th overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft. He spent time with the Lions, Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos as a practice squad player. Toone averaged 24.9 yards per reception with 39 catches for 973 yards and 12 touchdowns during his two-year collegiate career at Weber State. He was named Honorable Mention All-Big Sky Conference in 2007 after posting 32 catches for 698 yards with a team-high 10 touchdowns.
Faulcon, 6-0, 190 pounds, was originally signed by the Falcons as a college free agent on April 30, 2012. He earned NJAC and D3Football.com East Region Defensive Player of the Year honors as well as Division III All-America honors as a senior at Montclair State.
