Speedy Cal receiver Michael Calvin added
California's Michael Calvin, right, runs with the ball as Utah's Eric Rowe reaches for him and the ball during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 22, 2011, in San Francisco. (Associated Press)
California wide receiver Michael Calvin, an undrafted rookie free agent, signed with the Falcons today.
The Falcons have now signed 23 free agents from the draft-eligible class.
Calvin, 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, fits the Falcons desire to take players with “speed and urgency.”
He ran a 4.32 in the 40-yard dash at Cal’s 2012 Pro Day, which would have been the fastest time at the NFL scouting combine. He had a broad jump of 11 feet, 1 inch and a vertical of 40.5 inches, which would have tied for the best and tied for the fourth-best marks at the combine, respectively.
(I’m thinking there’s a pretty hot 4 X 100 relay team in the wide receiver meeting room. Here it is: Calvin (4.32), Cody Pearcy (4.3 to .35), Julio Jones (4.39) and Harry Douglas (4.42). The Olympics are this summer, you know. Rule number one for the relay team: CLEAN EXCHANGES AND DON’T DROP THE BATON!!!)
Calvin played in 37 games for the Golden Bears and made 10 starts. He had 42 catches for 528 yards and one touchdown over his career.
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117 comments Add your comment
Jimmy Crack
May 1st, 2012
3:43 pm
Stop using the word “urgency”. It’s starting to become a punchline.
Maconga
May 1st, 2012
3:43 pm
Butler signed with the Steelers. Still not sure why we did not make a run unless the need was only for a camp kicker.
Go Hawks @ 7;30 P M tonight!!
Falcon Jim (the real one)
May 1st, 2012
3:43 pm
Great sign by the Falcons. Mr. Ledbetter, do you know if he can return kicks as well? I hope to meet this young man up close at Flowery Branch soon.
notso fast
May 1st, 2012
3:51 pm
Funny that our free agents are more exciting to us than our drafts picks. Let;s get the show started.
Defense wins Titles
May 1st, 2012
3:58 pm
There are no scrub Bulldawgs. No such thing. Next year, l want an all SEC draft for the Falcons period. Mr. Dimitroff draft Big Boy Players from the Big Boy League, SEC, SEC, SEC. Screw the pretenders from pretender conferences. You must understand Atlanta is the heart of SEC country. WE know football players and you must get this fact in your brain soon. SEC players over kitty players from little leagues. Show me the SEC Bubba. 2013 draft, show us real ball players, stars baby from OUR CONFERENCE, SEC.
Paddy
May 1st, 2012
4:07 pm
Defene wins Titles (which it dosen’t) …..You must have gotten a big supply of Kool-Aide for your birthday?
Ralph J. Williams III
May 1st, 2012
4:16 pm
Sounds like a special teamer to me. The draft has become more about what these guys look like and do with no pads as oppose to what they actually DID with pads on! The underwear olympics are ruining todays NFL. What ever happen to production? 42 career receptions and 1 td????
Fast but cant catch perhaps?
Kelvin
May 1st, 2012
4:38 pm
With all of his physical size and speed it makes you wonder why he went undrafted. Does he have stone hands?
cdog
May 1st, 2012
5:04 pm
great job thomas dimitroff.great signing class.noone listen or believe people who grades the falcons because most are bias against the falcons.the grades will be made on the field and the falcons will make all A”s
JSS
May 1st, 2012
5:08 pm
He (Calvin) was the speed receiver stuck on a team with a QB unable to throw medium-to-long routes and he didn’t bloom up to his down field potential every play…
Donaldo
May 1st, 2012
5:19 pm
Saw this kid play @ CAL, he plays with a toughness. Great pick up by ATL
D. Orlando Ledbetter
May 1st, 2012
5:24 pm
Falcon Jim – Thanks. I’m going to start calling you Stafon.
D. Orlando Ledbetter
May 1st, 2012
5:24 pm
Falcon Jim — I didn’t see him returning any kicks. I’ll look that up.
D. Orlando Ledbetter
May 1st, 2012
5:25 pm
Spurrier – But that would have messed up my wide receiver threme. He probably could anchor the 4 X 100.
Casey
May 1st, 2012
5:28 pm
Sounds like a good sign! I agree, the undrafted class sounds more exciting than the drafted…
D. Orlando Ledbetter
May 1st, 2012
5:38 pm
SimpleDawg — Young Drew signed with Pittsburgh.
JONESBORO SLIM
May 1st, 2012
5:43 pm
Did anyone ever think that Calvin may have been used as a decoy because of his speed to clear secondary out…I also believe that the media is bias against Atlanta teams remember last year when the Falcons went up in the 2011 draft to get Julio Jones….but no one said anything in this yaers draft when teams jumped up from the bottom to select a draftee…. but I will say that NFL Networks Mike Matock is always well prepared with good facts…but the others are just making it up as they go…and the ex-jocks on the shows (ESPN NFL Network) never say anything negative about the teams they played for especially Michael Erving…
Bigg Don
May 1st, 2012
5:44 pm
gotta like the fleet footed. But where will he fit in? Kind of a waste to me. Julio ain’t going nowhere. Roddy (I wish, I’m sick of his drops and BS) ain’t going nowhere. Like Hairy D. big time.
So where and how does he get on the field? I guess if they have a 4 receiver formation, but then what about Tony G.? Quite the conundrum, but a nice one I suppose. Blaze on Falcons and Falcons fans, blaze on.
JONESBORO SLIM
May 1st, 2012
5:46 pm
Bigg Don…..Kick returns
Paddy
May 1st, 2012
5:57 pm
Klelvin….He went undrafted because he was not considered a draft prospect. The Falcons liked him more than any other NFL team because they signed him and no other team had interest!
JONESBORO SLIM
May 1st, 2012
6:11 pm
I’m so glad to see so many NFL scouts on this blog today there knowledge of the game, the teams and the players is allsome…I just wish I had their crystal ball….
JONESBORO SLIM
May 1st, 2012
6:15 pm
Ledbetter….when can we the FANS come to “Hill” (Flowery Branch) see the new group?
TampaGator
May 1st, 2012
6:28 pm
You don’t win NFL games with replay teams…..you win them with rough and tough and mean and nasty….football players. At best, this guy will be a kick returner. Obviously fast, but also obviously lacking in NFL type football skills….other than returning kicks because of his speed.
OPEN YOUR EYES
May 1st, 2012
6:48 pm
D LED DO YOU KNOW IF CODY PEARCY WILL BE A SLOT OR OUTSIDE RECEIVER??
Mikey
May 1st, 2012
7:10 pm
Nice signing. It is good to have some speedy WRs in the mix for training camp. Very few of these guys will make the team but you never know when one will rise up. I wish they had a tough but speedy running back to push the group. I keep thinking there is a sleeper out there. Maybe Robbie Frey is that guy. I’m anxious to see them in action.
FEATHEREDFRIEND
May 1st, 2012
7:11 pm
Just great , another reciever who can run further than Ryan can throw. We know it’s coming so why didn’t Dummytoff draft a replacement for the soon to be gone Iceman?
Delbert D.
May 1st, 2012
7:57 pm
This guy has a chance on the practice squad for emulating speed guys.
Bad Drafting = Losing
May 1st, 2012
8:16 pm
Our over all talent level is dropping dramatically and this year will prove how poorly Dimitroff has been drafting good players. Most of his so called draftees will be starters this year. I may not make his salary but I guarantee you that most of us college football fans could out draft him. His drafts always leave you scratching your head and asking why on earth did he draft so and so. Konz was a good pick but from there he over reached for everyone else. There were several solid players on the board when he picked Holmes. DT Thompson from Clemson, Orson Charles UGA, and Bobbie Massie Mississippi, and Brandon Boykin UGA. His 1st draft with the falcons was pretty good but since ,WOW pretty bad.
Paddy
May 1st, 2012
8:26 pm
JONESBOREO SLIM……….do you have another explanation on how the Falcons signed this guy. Yes, I have 22 years in professional player development, so I have some knowledge of how the process works. It does not take a crystal ball, just experience of how things work. Don’t jump to conclusions!
birddawgbill
May 1st, 2012
8:37 pm
I see where people r asking why the Falcons didn’t talk to Butler. Who knows if they did or not. More likely not but even if they had, Butler probably went to the team where he had the best chance to win the job. And the Falcons I’m sure were happy with Nowhere.
trailboss
May 1st, 2012
9:00 pm
I’m not so sure about this draft but I love the power upfront and the speed at WR Roddy White need to hold on to the ball if not he’ll be hearing footstep because these guy’s can put some in your face also he need to put that I-PAD down and play ball.Over all very good draft what they had to work with.
wisconsinfalcons fan
May 1st, 2012
9:24 pm
JUST WIN BABY!
old qb
May 1st, 2012
9:39 pm
TD and Smitty drafted each pick for “need” and did a great job with the picks they had. It’s obvious every pick was carefully plotted and it was no surprise every one of them is noted to be of high character and loves football.
As far as the free agent Calvin one thing in the NFL or any other league you can’t teach is SPEED. Some of you older fans might remember a guy Dallas drafted by the name of Bob Hayes. When he came into the league he couldn’t catch a cold, but a cold couldn’t catch up to him either. He learned how to catch a football and the rest is history. If Calvin can be coached he can be an enormous weapon to stretch the field–exactly what Jones and White need.
Even their seventh round pick, a defensive tackle is a nose tackle, something they desperately need. All in all I think they grade out as an “A”. If Kiper was so perfect how did he miss out on Victor Cruz last year?
Keep up the good work.
JONESBORO SLIM
May 1st, 2012
9:40 pm
Paddy…..Why not try the man out at kick return….27 years?…where?
Hobbler
May 1st, 2012
10:15 pm
With Calvin’s size and speed, why not train him at nickel back if there’s a WR problem? Someone with that size and speed should be on the field in the nfl. He should be able to blanket any of the tall slot receivers as the nickel back with that speed and height.
Hobbler
May 1st, 2012
10:32 pm
I believe this season success will in part hinge on whether Matt Ryan and Michael Turner used the off season to work out with personal trainers. Matt needed to add more body weight and strength especially back and shoulders. Michael needed to lose about 20 lbs or more off the back bumper to get a step quicker. Also, the OL looked weak last year getting beat by quickness or pushed back by bull rushes most of the year. Maybe a strength coach change is what is needed to improve the OL play.
ernisTbass
May 1st, 2012
11:06 pm
I used to have urgency but the doctor gave me some pills that turned my pee orange and in a few days it cleared up pretty good, now I feel better and my underwear stays cleaner so I don’t have to change every week anymore
OHIOdirtybird!!!!
May 2nd, 2012
4:18 am
I have seen plenty of lists of UDFA the past few years and the majority aren’t on the field in the regular season….A lot of these guys look good on their “highlight” videos, there is a difference between part time and full time……chances are we aren’t finding a full timer here….but the kids themselves have done some impressive things
Paddy
May 2nd, 2012
6:28 am
Jonesboro Slim……..Does not matter to me where he plays. He seems like an interesting player . Players will be trying out for that punt return job now that the kckoff return position has little impact Don’t see this guy moving to defense. You just don’t flip sides of the ball if you are a marginal player like Calvin. It is tough enough to make a roster at the position you can play instead of a position you may have never played.
todd
May 2nd, 2012
8:02 am
well here is a short video clip of Calvin:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4bWHeSbCRU
not sure if he will make the team…
Double Zero Eight
May 2nd, 2012
8:12 am
His speed will not be a factor as a receiver, if Ryan
can’t get him the ball downfield. Let’s hope the O-line
gives Ryan time to set his feet so he heave the ball
downfield.
For every “Bob Hayes” success story, there are at least
two instances where this experiment has failed in the NFL.
todd
May 2nd, 2012
8:16 am
Bad Drafting = Losing…. where should I start? in case you haven’t been keeping up with current events, the falcons have had 4 winning seasons in a row, so that more or less shoots down your theory. sure, they haven’t gotten the results they wanted in the playoffs but nobody else beat the the teams they lost to either.. they will break out of that eventually. they are LOADED on offense and the D will be improved this year.
Paddy
May 2nd, 2012
8:53 am
todd…..your level headed approach to football is equal to most Falcon fans. The few (bad drafting =) have no solution other than the fact they don’t like anybody at anytime You waste you time trying to fight with folks without a clue.
SimpleDawg
May 2nd, 2012
9:39 am
Thanks, D-Led.
Sad to think the Falcons didn’t see the value in signing the best punter in the class, who also has roots in ATL.
Dumb stuff…..
Mr. Mustard
May 2nd, 2012
9:53 am
Hey D. Led or anyone -
Why would a guy this fast not be drafted? Anyone know?
4.3, 40 yard dash, long and high jumps near the top, why is he not a first round pick?
Paddy
May 2nd, 2012
10:04 am
Mr. Mustard………this type of things happen in all sports with a draft. All 32 teams in the NFL are looking for football players not Combine measurable giants. So many mistakes have been made by taking players like this one in the past. I hope this kid makes all pro one day. Every team thought he was not a draftable player and the Falcons liked him better than 31 other teams signing NDFA. They either think you can play or they don’t!
Big Earl
May 2nd, 2012
10:15 am
@ D. Orlando…I just read your article on the Falcons receiving cap space due to Vick’s settlement. Since they now have over 4 mil. in cap space, could you please educate the unwashed, including myself, in how the 2012 draftees will be “slotted” under the new CBA and how much cap space their allotment will take up? Thanks!
KOJACK
May 2nd, 2012
10:36 am
couple weeks ago there was a press conference given by Lofa Tatupa.I can’t seem to find out
what all was said.do you have it in print or video?
St Simons - we're on Island time
May 2nd, 2012
11:35 am
Why him? He’s a rocket scientist, and can outrun a noodle arm
Lose-lose
Paddy
May 2nd, 2012
12:03 pm
St. Somons……..I ask you the same question. Why not him. What have you lost?