Falcons set to add backup tackle help

The Falcons agreed to terms on a one-year contract with offensive tackle Austin Pasztor on Friday, according to his agent Sanat “Sunny” Shah.

The Falcons are at the 90-man roster limit and must make room by releasing a player before adding Pasztor, who’s made 43 starts and played 58 games over five seasons in the NFL.

Pasztor, who’s 6-foot-7 and 305 pounds, played three seasons with Jacksonville and two with Cleveland since coming out of Virginia in 2012.

Behind starting tackles Jake Matthews and Ryan Schraeder, the Falcons do not have a backup tackle on the roster with any NFL starting experience.

Last season’s swing tackle, Tom Compton, signed with the Bears in free agency.

D.J. Tialavea, who is 6-foot-4 and 260 pounds, recently moved from tight end to tackle. He originally signed with Dallas after the 2014 draft out of Utah State.

Kevin Graf, Will Freeman, Daniel Brunskill and Andreas Knappe, all undrafted players with no NFL game experience, are competing for the backup swing tackle spot.

“Those guys are all battling it out,” Falcons offensive line coach Chris Morgan said recently. “That competition is hot, too. We’ve got to sort it out.”

Graf, 6-6 and 309 pounds, played at USC. He is the veteran of the group. He went undrafted in 2014 and has spent time with the Eagles (2014-15) and Colts (2016).

Freeman, Brunskill and Knappe were undrafted free agents signed after the 2017 draft.

Freeman, 6-6 and 275 pounds, played at Southern Miss. He was selected to the Conference USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll in 2013. Freeman also saw action on offense and defense for Southern Miss.

Brunskill, 6-5, 260 pounds, played at San Diego State. He made the switch from tight end to left tackle before his senior season, earning second-team All-Mountain West honors in his lone year at the position. He played in played in 54 consecutive games, which tied him for the most in school history.

Brunskill was a Burlsworth Trophy nominee – the award given to the top college walk-on – which Falcons wide receiver Justin Hardy won in 2014.

Knappe, 6-8 and 325 pounds, played at Connecticut. He started all 12 games at right tackle in 2016. He’s from Denmark and helped Connecticut reach the 100-yard mark rushing six times last season. Knappe played in 36 games during his career with the Huskies.