Atlanta Falcons head coach Dan Quinn hinted the 53-man roster wasn't quite set, so it was no surprise when the team made another move Sunday.
The Falcons claimed 5-foot-8, 167-pound wide receiver Taylor Gabriel off waivers from the Cleveland Browns. To make room for Gabriel, the Falcons released wide receiver Nick Williams, who initially won a roster spot over undrafted rookie J.D. McKissic.
Gabriel, a former undrafted player himself out of Abilene (Texas) Christian, spent the previous two years with the Browns. As a rookie in 2014, he caught 36 passes for 621 yards and averaged 17.3 yards per catch playing under Kyle Shanahan, now the Falcons' offensive coordinator. Gabriel also returned four kickoff for 96 yards as a rookie, with a long return of 30 yards.
Gabriel is known for his speed and hands, and Quinn is always looking to inject more speed into the Falcons' lineup. It is unclear where Gabriel will land in the return rotations. Quinn said Saturday those duties would be divided between Eric Weems, Tevin Coleman and Williams, with Justin Hardy getting in on punt returns with Weems. With Williams now gone, it would make sense for Gabriel to be on kickoff returns.
At one point in Cleveland, Shanahan declared Gabriel his third receiver. In Atlanta, Gabriel will be behind at least Julio Jones and Mohamed Sanu, while Hardy and Aldrick Robinson are the third and fourth receivers right now.
In other news, the Falcons signed seven players to their 10-man practice squad Sunday: quaterback Matt Simms, defensive end Nordly Capi, cornerback Devonta Johnson, nose tackle Joey Mbu, tight end D.J. Tialavea, safety Sharrod Neasman and McKissic. The final three spots have yet to be determined, the team said.
