Atlanta Falcons sign former San Francisco 49ers starting TE to contract

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons kicked off OTAs Monday and officially welcomed four new players in the process.

Atlanta confirmed the previously announced signings of defensive end Bradlee Anae, safety Dane Cruikshank and wide receiver Dylan Drummond after rookie minicamp tryouts, but the team announced another one Monday afternoon.

The Falcons signed former San Francisco 49ers tight end Ross Dwelley, who played in 84 games in six seasons with 17 starts mixed in.

Dwelley is the second ex-49ers tight end to join the Falcons this offseason, with the team signing Charlie Woerner early in free agency.

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Dwelley, 29, signed with San Francisco as an undrafted free agent in 2018 after five years at the University of San Diego. During his time with the 49ers, Dwelley recorded 44 receptions for 518 yards and five touchdowns.

Dwelley, who stands 6-5 and 235 pounds, had his most successful pass-catching campaigns in 2019 and 2020. During the 2019 season, he caught 15 passes for 91 yards and two scores. He followed that up with a breakout 2020, recording 19 catches for 245 yards while finding the end zone once.

In Atlanta, Dwelley joins a tight ends room led by Kyle Pitts that also includes Woerner, John FitzPatrick, Tucker Fisk and Austin Stogner. Several members of last year’s group have since left, including Jonnu Smith to the Miami Dolphins and Parker Hesse to the Detroit Lions.

The Falcons roster now has a full 90 players who will start OTAs, which run through June 6.