The Atlanta Falcons continued their heavy participation in the free-agent market by agreeing to terms with outside linebacker Courtney Upshaw, the team announced Friday.
Terms of the contract were not announced, but Upshaw reportedly made $1,112,277 last season with the Baltimore Ravens.
Upshaw, 26, played in 16 games, including 15 starts, while completing his fourth season with Baltimore in 2015. He had two sacks and was involved in 51 tackles last season.
Upshaw also visited the New York Jets last week and reportedly drew interest from the New England Patriots and San Francisco 49ers as well.
The 6-foot-2, 272-pound Upshaw was originally selected by the Ravens in the second round (35th overall) of the 2012 NFL Draft out of Alabama.
The signing of Upshaw leads to speculation about the roles outside linebackers O’Brien Schofield and Philip Wheeler will play with the Falcons.
Wheeler, 31, was re-signed by the Falcons on Thursday after playing in nine games, including two starts, last season. He had one sack and one forced fumble while being involved in 29 tackles last season. He currently is listed as the Falcons’ starter on the strong side.
Schofield, who turns 29 on April 3, played in 16 games, including 11 starts, for Atlanta last season, when he had two sacks and one forced fumble while getting in on 28 tackles.
The Falcons offered Schofield a contract, but he has not reached an agreement with Atlanta as he considers options with other teams.
The Falcons signed free-agent Brooks Reed to a five-year, $22.5 million contract last year, hoping he would man the weak-side outside linebacker spot. But a groin injury limited his production and he eventually lost out to Schofield for the starting job.
Reed is listed as a backup to Schofield on the Falcons’ current depth chart.