Falcons Roster Update: Move to New RB

The Atlanta Falcons released their 53-man roster Tuesday, but were tweaking it less than 48 hours later.

The team announced Thursday that the team had signed veteran running back Wayne Gallman. In a corresponding move, the team released running back Qadree Ollison.

Gallman spent the first four years of his career with the New York Giants before signing a contract in free agency with the San Francisco 49ers.

However, Gallman failed to make the 53-man roster in San Francisco and was cut ahead of Tuesday's 53-man deadline.

Now, Gallman returns to his home state of Georgia to resume his career with the Falcons.

Gallman is expected to back up Mike Davis and Cordarrelle Patterson in the depth chart, a role that Ollison was expected to take on before the Falcons gave him a pink slip today.

Ollison played 11 games over the course of the past two seasons with the Falcons, the team that drafted him in the fifth round back in the 2019 NFL Draft.

Ollison found the end zone four times in his rookie season, but failed to do so in 2020.

In the preseason, Ollison did not dress in the opener against the Tennessee Titans, but played in the final two games, racking up 12 carries for 42 yards.

It seemed like Ollison's original inclusion as part of the 53-man roster was a sign that the team was receptive to his development. However, it appears the team is valuing a player with a more proven track record over a player it has developed over several years.