CB Desmond Trufant avoids holdout; signs with Falcons

One of the final pieces of the 2013 NFL Draft’s first round is finally in place.

Cornerback Desmond Trufant and the Atlanta Falcons have agreed on a multi-year contract, the team announced on Tuesday morning. Trufant had been the subject of holdout speculation, as he had voiced concern about being paid less than the 2012 #22 overall pick (the same position as Trufant) in Cleveland’s Brandon Weeden.

Obviously, the Falcons were concerned about matching the four-year, $8.08 million deal with a $4.3 million signing bonus that Weeden received, and while the terms were undisclosed, I would project the final number came in south of that range. Trufant is expected to be a starting cornerback (in the absence of Dunta Robinson and Brent Grimes) for the Super Bowl-contending Falcons from day one, and as such, his signing was big news in the south on Tuesday.

The Falcons moved heaven and earth (or more specifically, its 1st, 3rd, and 6th-round picks) to get Trufant, and they are in love with his skill set. He was one of the more NFL-ready corners in this year’s draft, and there are expectations for both Trufant and 2nd-round pick Robert Alford this season. It remains to be seen whether Trufant will meet those expectations on the field, but at the very least, the Falcons locked him up prior to the start of their training camp.