Falcons place OLB Bralen Trice on the reserve/injured list and make a series of transactions

Both Trice and Hand sustained injuries last week in Florida.

Trice left the Falcons’ first preseason game last Friday in the second quarter with what the team said was a knee injury. He sustained the injury while pressuring the passer on a third-down play and had to be escorted off the field by two athletic trainers.

The third-round draft pick had seen a lot of action on the first and second team defense during training camp, and was listed as a backup outside linebacker on the Falcons’ first official roster, falling behind Arnold Ebiketie.

Hand left practice early last Wednesday after going down during 11-on-11 practice. The injury appeared to have occurred on a pass deep along the right sideline, as Hand was slow to get up afterward. Atlanta confirmed Sunday that Hand also injured his knee. Hand was able to walk off the field with a limp, but was not seen in action again. He did not play in the game.

Hand, a 2020 fifth-round draft pick, signed with the Falcons on June 11. He was listed on the roster as the Falcons’ third cornerback, behind Mike Hughes and Clark Phillips III.

Their placement on the injured list means Trice and Hand will miss the entire 2024 season.

Rourke, a former CLF player, signed with the Falcons on Aug. 1. He had not made any live NFL appearances before arriving in Atlanta. That changed when he entered the game with 12:12 left in the fourth quarter on Friday. Rourke ended up completing three of his 13 pass attempts for 37 yards. His longest pass was a 16-yard pass to wide receiver OJ Hiliare. He also ran twice for 24 yards, including a 21-yard pass that was Atlanta’s longest run of the game.

Grant is no stranger to the NFL and has six years of experience under his belt. Paddock, on the other hand, is an undrafted free agent. Brown has played eight games in his career since entering the league in 2021, also as an undrafted free agent.

Grant joined the Miami Dolphins as a sixth-round draft pick in 2016 and has since played 81 games for two teams. However, due to injuries, he has not played in a game since 2021. As a member of the Cleveland Browns, Grant was placed on the injured list in 2022 due to an Achilles tendon injury and a kneecap fracture in 2023.

When healthy, however, Grant played an active role on both offense and special teams.

On offense, Grant has 100 catches for 1,140 yards and seven touchdowns on his resume. His best season was 2020 with the Dolphins, when he caught 36 passes for 373 yards and a touchdown.

On special teams, Grant has returned 119 punts for 1,228 yards and four touchdowns and another 110 kickoffs for 2,699 yards and two touchdowns. He has led the league in multiple ways, including a 97-yard punt return for a touchdown in 2021 with the Chicago Bears and a 102-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in 2018 with the Dolphins.

With a total of six return touchdowns since entering the league in 2016, Grant ranks first in the NFL, tied with Jacksonville wide receiver Jamal Agnew.

The signing of this versatile veteran comes as no surprise after the Falcons placed wide receiver Rondale Moore on the reserve/injured list last Thursday. Moore was listed on the first order as a backup on offense and special teams.

Paddock will return to Atlanta after his release on August 1.

Brown played six games with the Carolina Panthers – four as a rookie in the 2021 season and two in 2022. No statistics were recorded in his first season. In his second, he carried the ball nine times for 43 yards. Brown did not play in 2023 and spent time on the Panthers’ practice squad.