The Falcons receiving corps suffered a blow when it was introduced that Rondale Moore would miss the 2024 NFL season with a knee damage. Whereas not a one-for-one alternative, Atlanta has addressed the place group, signing veteran extensive receiver and return specialist Jakeem Grant to a one-year contract, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Community.
Coming to the NFL as a sixth-round pick out of Texas Tech, Grant made it immediately clear that his value came on special teams. As a rookie with the Dolphins, Grant only received one target and one carry, finishing with one yard from scrimmage. Instead, his impact came as a returner as he scored his first career touchdown on a 74-yard punt return.
In the following years, Miami noticed the danger his speed presented and attempted to get him more involved on offense. He was able to contribute a bit here and there, but never totaled more than 373 yards or two touchdowns in a season over six years with the Dolphins. In that same time, though, Grant continued to excel on special teams, returning three punts and two kickoffs for touchdowns.
Grant’s electricity has been evident throughout his career. He has always been a danger to break off a long return at any moment, twice returning kickoffs longer than 100 yards and returning four punts over 70 yards, including one 97-yarder. He was last in Chicago, where he played 11 games after being traded from Miami. That short sample of time was when Grant delivered his 97-yard punt return for a touchdown.
Following the expiration of his contract with the Bears, Grant signed a three-year deal taking him to Cleveland. Sadly, he by no means bought to play for the Browns, suffering a torn Achilles tendon within the 2022 preseason. A yr later, lastly able to make his Browns debut, Grant was carted off the sector within the workforce’s closing preseason sport with a ruptured patellar tendon, as soon as once more getting positioned on injured reserve earlier than the season started.
Since departing from Cleveland, Grant has proven a continued curiosity in remaining on the sector. In latest months, he has shopped his skills out to the Eagles, Saints, and Jets.
In Atlanta, the return man job gained’t be merely handed to Grant. He could have competitors for each return spots in Ray-Ray McCloud and Avery Williams. Williams served as the first kick and punt return since 2021 earlier than missing the 2023 season after present process ACL surgical procedure. McCloud has an intensive historical past as a return man in his historical past as nicely.
Whereas each gamers have the requisite expertise, neither participant holds fairly the identical electrical energy as neither has scored return touchdowns of their NFL profession. This units up an intriguing battle to return. All three gamers maintain loads of promise as return males with various ranges of worth on offense. Not one of the three are anticipated to be key contributors for brand spanking new quarterback Kirk Cousins, but when any show that they will do extra than simply return, it might solidify them a roster spot in 2024.
