FLOWERY BRANCH, GA – The Atlanta Falcons today signed offensive lineman Michael Butterworth, linebacker Coy Wire and cornerback Blue Adams. The Falcons also placed defensive tackle Trey Lewis on the active/non-football injury list, placed offensive tackle Renardo Foster on the active/physically unable to perform list, waived-injured offensive lineman Pat McCoy, reached an injury settlement with linebacker Travis Williams and waived cornerback Glenn Sharpe.
Butterworth, 6-7, 298 pounds, was originally signed by the Falcons as an undrafted rookie free agent on April 28, 2008 before being waived on June 18. The Slippery Rock University graduate earned All-America honorable mention honors by Don Hansen’s Football Gazette for his performance last season. Butterworth also garnered ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America honors for the second consecutive year following last season as well as being named a first-team All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division selection for the third straight year.
Wire, 6-0, 228 pounds, is a six-year veteran who was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft. Last season he was voted the Bills special teams captain while seeing action in seven games. Wire finished the year with four tackles and also started one game.
Adams, 5-10, 187 pounds, enters his fifth season in the NFL after competing in 13 games for the Cincinnati Bengals last season. Adams totaled seven tackles and one sack for the Bengals in 2007 while contributing with 11 special teams tackles.
Lewis, 6-3, 323 pounds, competed in nine games with the Falcons last season before being placed on injured reserve on November 20, 2007 after suffering a knee injury against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 11. Lewis contributed with 23 tackles (12 solo), one pass defensed and one interception.
Foster, 6-7, 340 pounds, saw action in seven games with Atlanta last year before being placed on injured reserve with a knee injury on October 22. He started his first career NFL game against the New York Giants on October 15 and assisted the offense in producing 103 rushing yards.
McCoy, 6-5, 333 pounds, was signed by the Falcons on December 12, 2007 and was inactive for three games with Atlanta after starting the ’07 campaign on the practice squad of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Williams, 6-1, 221 pounds, tallied seven tackles on special teams last year for the Falcons after spending the first eight weeks of the season on the practice squad.
Sharpe, 6-0, 185 pounds, was originally signed by the Falcons as an undrafted rookie free agent on April 28, 2008 as a graduate of Miami (Fla.).