Falcons make roster moves in wake of Keanu Neal injury

The Atlanta Falcons announced a handful of roster moves Tuesday afternoon.

The club placed safety Keanu Neal on injured reserve, waived punter Matt Wile and signed offensive lineman John Wetzel and safety Jamal Carter to the 53-man roster. The Falcons also signed tight end Carson Meier to the practice squad.

Neal was selected by the Falcons in the first round (17th overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft and has totaled 234 tackles (165 solo), 15 passes defensed, eight forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. The Florida alum was named to his first Pro Bowl in 2017. 

Wetzel was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Oakland Raiders after the 2013 Draft. He has seen action in 40 games with 24 starts at both right and left tackle, and right guard. The Boston College alum spent time with the Atlanta Falcons this past training camp and week two.

Carter was signed by the Denver Broncos following the 2017 draft out of Miami and finished his rookie season with 11 tackles (nine solo) and one pass defensed in 16 games. He was signed to the Falcons’ practice squad on Sept. 2. 

Meier is an undrafted rookie out of Oklahoma, where he totaled 19 catches for 327 yards and four touchdowns in 2018. He spent time on the Falcons’ practice squad from Sept. 3-17.