Last week the Atlanta Falcons cut running back Qadree Ollison and signed Wayne Gallman in his place.
Head coach Arthur Smith revealed that Gallman's work on special teams helped tip the scales in his favor when deciding on adding him to the roster.
"It's obviously not the end of the road for Qadree," said Smith. "Wayne was a guy we thought we want to want to bring in here that maybe can add something for us, certainly out of the backfield, or more importantly on fourth down."
"So that was a big, big part of it. Not to say that he won't at some point get carries, and not to say that you can't put somebody up on practice squad that can play here on this Sunday so all the options on the table. That was part of the reason we want to bring Gallman in here."
Gallman is behind Mike Davis and Cordarrelle Patterson as the Falcons number three running back, and playing special teams is crucial for a player in that spot on the depth chart.
He's also a more accomplished runner. The former Grayson High School (Loganville, Ga.) product had 682 yards rushing and 362 yards receiving for the New York Giants last year.
Ollison was Atlanta's fifth-round draft pick in 2019. He played in eight games his rookie season and finished with 22 carries for 50 yards and four touchdowns. He only had one rushing attempt in 2020.
The Falcons have made a number of moves to improve special teams in 2021. Only kicker Younghoe Koo was a standout in 2020. Atlanta added an All-Pro kick returner in Patterson and drafted Avery Williams from Boise State.
Williams led the nation in kick return yards in 2020, and he was third in punt return average at 15.3 per return.
The revamped special teams unit will be on display on Sunday afternoon against the Philadelphia Eagles. Atlanta kicks off their regular season against Philadelphia at 1 p.m. at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
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