Dec 1, 2013; Toronto, ON, Canada; Atlanta Falcons center Joe Hawley (61) against the Buffalo Bills at the Rogers Center. Falcons beat the Bills 34 to 31 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
While hopes remained high that center Joe Hawley would bounce back from a torn ACL and MCL in his right knee during the 2014 season, it seems as though it won't be happening with the Atlanta Falcons.
Hawley, who was expecting to play in Week 1 for the Falcons, has been released, according to ESPN Insider Field Yates.
As you can tell from the tweet, that wasn't the only piece of news. The reason Hawley was released was simply to make room for another center in Gino Gradkowski. As Vaughn McClure of ESPN reported, the Falcons claimed Gradkowski off waivers from the Denver Broncos on Monday.
McClure points out what many Falcons fans are curious about, which is that it's a bit of an unknown as to how Atlanta's offensive line will look in Week 1. Not only did they release Hawley and claim Gradkowski, but they also traded for left guard Andy Levitre and claimed offensive tackle Bryce Harris after the New Orleans Saints waived him.
It'll be interesting to see how the o -line looks this coming week, but it's just one of many intriguing storylines for the Falcons.
(h/t @FieldYates and ESPN)
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