DONE DEAL: FALCONS are pleased to announced the signing of Prolific Defensive linesman after releasing Ankou

Throughout the season, Atlanta has rotated depth options along their defensive line. We’ve seen Ta’Quon Graham, of course, but we’ve also seen Albert Huggins, Timothy Horne, Eli Ankou, and LaCale London get jobs as the team looks for the ideal match. I’d argue that one of those players, despite his rocky start, is certainly a capable Graham, but the Falcons clearly believe London is another.

The organization announced earlier today that London has been added to the active roster, with Ankou being released to make way. The promotion follows London’s second gameday flex from the practice squad, on which he played over 30 snaps and performed admirably as a run defender while also recovering.

Two solid Sundays after a fantastic summer in Atlanta will get you a longer look, and London, thankfully, is getting one.

London, an undrafted free agent with the Bears in 2020, spent his whole rookie season on the practice squad before going on injured reserve for part of the 2021 season, eventually re-joining the practice squad and playing one game in the regular season. He was waived in late August 2022 and signed with the St. Louis Battlehawks of the re-created XFL, where he earned defensive player of the week honors for forcing a pair of fumbles. His performance in the XFL definitely piqued Atlanta’s interest, as the Falcons signed him in May and added him to their roster.

As such, London is just another success story for this front office, which excelled in free agency and mined the XFL for good players. London’s addition to the active roster indicates that he should have a legitimate role waiting for him behind a senior bunch of starters, as he’ll likely share opportunities with Graham, Huggins, and possibly Joe Gaziano in the future. The strong work he’s put in through two games, combined with the team’s rapid rush to get him on the roster this week, says they respect London and may have dreaded losing him to another team, and that acquisition might put an end to the cycle of snaps we’ve seen for multiple guys thus far

Please extend a warm welcome to London, and best wishes to Ankou at his next stop, presuming it isn’t the Atlanta Falcons practice squad.