The Falcoholic
Atlanta has made a move just before Week 15 to add to a moribund receiving corps, claiming former Green Bay Packer Malik Heath off waivers. In a corresponding move, they released lightly used safety Jordan Fuller.
The 25-year-old Heath is an interesting flier for a team as receiver-starved as Atlanta. The former undrafted free agent is listed at 6’2”, 213 pounds and has appeared in 37 games for Green Bay in his career with a pair of starts, reeling in 31 grabs on 44 targets for 308 yards and three touchdowns. He also plays sparingly on special teams, if the Falcons want to try him out there to help their awful coverage units.
It may take a little time to get Heath up to speed, so I’m not necessarily expecting him to be on the field for Thursday Night Football against the Buccaneers. Given his youth and solid work as a short-to-intermediate threat for Green Bay in his limited opportunities, Heath is a player who might make something of his audition and end up here longer than the final four weeks of the season. Lord knows the Falcons could use the help.
Fuller is the corresponding move. It’s surprising in the sense that Fuller was in the mix for a starting safety job this summer and has ties to Raheem Morris after playing for him with the Rams, but it’s not at all shocking given that Fuller has had basically no role on defense and a limited one on special teams thus far, excelling with neither. With Xavier Watts and Jessie Bates healthy and DeMarcco Hellams hurt, though, the Falcons aren’t exactly loaded at the position right now. We’ll see if Fuller hits the practice squad in short order.
Give Heath a warm welcome, and let’s hope he can offer the Falcons some much-needed youth and talent at receiver.
