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Former Raiders Star Bruce Irvin Signs With Falcons

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons have signed defensive end Bruce Irvin to a one-year deal announced Wednesday, reuniting the veteran with coach Dan Quinn.

Irvin, cut by the Oakland Raiders on Saturday, became a free agent after clearing waivers on Tuesday with $3.8 million remaining on his contract. The Falcons, who play at Cleveland on Sunday, did not release terms of the deal.

Irvin, 31, is an Atlanta native. He celebrated his return home by posting on his Twitter account "Man it's time! You can't put a price on the chance for me to play for my people and city! It's bigger than money!"

Irvin played two seasons with Seattle when Quinn was the team's defensive coordinator.

The Falcons rank 14th in the league with 17 sacks. Takk McKinley has a team-leading 5 ½ sacks, but Vic Beasley has only one. Beasley led the league with 15 ½ sacks in 2016.

Irvin had three sacks with Oakland but recently had been on the field only in the team's nickel defense. He played nine snaps in a 34-3 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday night.

Irvin (6-3, 250) played four seasons with Seattle before joining the Raiders in 2016. He made eight sacks as a rookie in 2012 and matched that career high with Oakland in 2017.

He set a career high with six forced fumbles in 2016. His 11 forced fumbles since the start of the 2016 season are the most in the NFL in that span.

For his career, Irvin has 40 sacks and 15 forced fumbles.

Oakland was expected to enter the season with Irvin and Khalil Mack leading the defense as bookend pass rushers. Instead, Mack was traded to Chicago a week before the season for a package of draft picks following a lengthy holdout. The Raiders rank last in the league with seven sacks.

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