The Falcons have announced the addition of 19 college free agents, including Houston DT Joey Mbu and Indiana WR Shane Wynn
The Falcons announced that they had agreed to terms with 19 college free agents Wednesday ahead of the team's weekend rookie minicamp. Each year, the Falcons find a diamond among the crop of undrafted players and there could be some in this year's Rookie Club, as well.
Here's what you need to know about some of the players added to the roster Wednesday:
1. Derrick Malone is a Sportsman: Losing in the National Championship game is never easy, but Malone — an Oregon linebacker — didn't like what he saw from some teammates after the Ducks fell to Ohio State earlier this year. A group walking off the field without shaking hands with the Buckeyes was met by a sprinting Malone, who directed them to turn around and shake hands with the victors.
"You have to be a man when you win," Malone told the Daily Bulletin after the game, "and you have to be a man when you are defeated."
2. Joey Mbu is Committed: Listed as a nose tackle, Houston's Joey Mbu is an interesting prospect for his 6-foot-3, 310-pound size. It might not surprise you that he used to be much bigger, until his coaches at Houston told him to slim down. Mbu once tipped the scales at 350 pounds, but lost 42 pounds in a single semester to weigh in at 308 that season. He continues to hover around the same area as he enters the pros.
3. Kevin White Won the Battle of the Kevin Whites: If you heard the name Kevin White during the 2015 NFL Draft, it was likely in reference to the star West Virginia wide receiver who the Bears took with the No. 7 selection overall. But there's a Kevin White that's now on the Falcons roster that bested the Kevin White that got drafted. When TCU cornerback Kevin White faced West Virginia's, the Horned Frogs star held his counterpart to just three catches for 28 yards.
4. High Praise for Last Year's Rookies: In a series of interviews done during the 2015 NFL Draft process, NFL Draft Diamonds uncovered some high praise for Falcons who were added to the roster last year coming from some of the ones added Wednesday. Asked who the toughest player he faced in college was, New Mexico State center Valerian Ume-Ezeoke said Minnesota's Ra'Shede Hageman took that title. For Northern Arizona tight end Beau Garder, it was another member of the Falcons' defense.
"Tyler Starr from South Dakota was the toughest player I faced at NAU," Gardner told nfldraftdiamonds.com. "He was actually a better OLB than any of the FBS LBs I played against."
5. Terell Floyd is Dynamic: The Louisville defensive back played corner until his senior season with the Cardinals, when he switched to safety. That's what he's slated to play in Atlanta. And, uhh, he's got some pretty impressive highlights:
Extra Reps: A couple of obscure schools are represented in this year's crop with Chris Brown coming from Tarleton State, a D-II college located 65 miles southwest of Fort Worth, and Azusa Pacific University, located near Los Angeles where Cody Clay decided to play instead of taking a scholarship offer from the University of Tennessee. ... Defensive back Robenson Therezie won Auburn's 2013 defensive player of the year award for 57 tackles and a team-high four interceptions. ... Oregon State running back Terron Ward is the younger brother of Denver Broncos safety TJ Ward. ... Indiana wide receiver Shane Wynn got snubbed for an invite to the Combine, but blew away scouts at his pro day, running a 4.29 49.