Nearly five months after he visited as a free agent, Grady Jackson finally plays for the Atlanta Falcons. The 10th-year veteran nose tackle passed a physical, clearing the final prerequisite Thursday to a three-year contract he and the Falcons agreed to earlier this week.

Ashley Lelie's departure from Denver was a costly one. Broncos coach Mike Shanahan confirmed Thursday that in order to be free from the final year of his contract, the recalcitrant receiver agreed to pay the Broncos a hefty sum. The amount is believed to be $982,000.

The Washington Redskins have traded a third-round pick to the Atlanta Falcons for running back T.J. Duckett. The Falcons then turned around and traded a third-rounder choice to Denver for wide receiver Ashley Lelie. Lelie has been trying to get out of Denver for the past year as his role was given to newcomer Javon Walker. Duckett was made expendable as the Falcons are very high on draft pick Jerious Norwood. Duckett gives Washington insurance in case Clinton Portis' shoulder injury is serious. For RealGM?s analysis of the trade, click here.

The Falcons remained in trade talks regarding tailback T.J. Duckett Monday, with the Washington Redskins being one of the potential trade partners, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. Washington is among at least four teams that have contacted the Falcons about Duckett's availability over the past few days, the person said. Falcons coach Jim Mora said he would like to upgrade the depth and talent at No. 3 wide receiver, backup safety and along both interior lines. Mora said Sunday that if Duckett were traded he would expect a significant return.

The Falcons have been looking far and wide for a young kicker who won't count too much against the salary cap. They may have found him, and he's already on the payroll. Michael Koenen, who handled the punting and kickoff duties as a rookie last season, appears ready to take on another job after booting four long field goals Friday night, including a 40-yarder as time ran out for a 26-23 preseason victory over the Patriots.

he Falcons are exploring trade possibilities for Oakland's Jerry Porter and Denver's Ashley Lelie, both wide receivers have requested trades and are unhappy with their respective teams. The Falcons are trying to figure out how to replace No. 3 wide receiver Brian Finneran, who suffered a season-ending knee injury at practice Sunday. The Falcons worked out cornerback DeAngelo Hall at wide receiver Wednesday to see if they can find an in-house replacement before pursuing a trade. "We're still working through a lot of scenarios that could involve players from another team, players out on the street and players that are on our team," coach Jim Mora said.

The Falcons got the bad news they expected Monday: receiver Brian Finneran is out for the season after tearing up his left knee in practice. Finneran, one of quarterback Michael Vick's favorite targets, went down during a workout Sunday night as he practiced a one-on-one drill with rookie cornerback Jimmy Williams. The receiver shrieked in pain as he tried to cut to his left on a crossing route, and coach Jim Mora said afterward that it looked serious. An MRI confirmed that Finneran tore the anterior cruciate ligament, in addition to sustaining cartilage damage and a slight displacement of the knee cap. He will undergo surgery on Wednesday or Thursday.