NFL Free Agency: Atlanta Falcons re-sign QB Matt Schaub, DT Courtney Upshaw

March 9 (UPI) -- The Atlanta Falcons announced the re-signing of two of their own unrestricted free agents Thursday: defensive tackle Courtney Upshaw and quarterback Matt Schaub. The Schaub agreement had been reported Wednesday.

There had been speculation that Schaub would follow former Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan to San Francisco, but Schaub re-upped at $9 million over two years, according to reports.

In a statement, Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff said, "The plan we laid out for this offseason begins with re-signing our own players, and we are fortunate to get deals done with Courtney and Matt this morning. Courtney proved to be versatile in our defensive scheme and he will continue to play several roles along our defensive line. We know the value of having an experienced backup at quarterback and (Matt) Ryan and Schaub work well together so it was important to keep that tandem together.

"Coupling these moves with being able to secure Robert Alford and Ryan Schraeder long-term before the end of the season has us off to a good start when it comes to executing our plan."

Schaub was signed by the Falcons last season amd had spent his first three seasons in Atlanta, before being traded to the Houston Texans in the 2007 offseason where he put up impressive numbers over seven years (23,221 passing yards, 124 touchdowns, and a 90.9 passer rating). The former Virginia Cavalier was seen as somebody who could help Schaub saw action in four games last season, but did not attempt any passes.

Upshaw was signed by Atlanta during the 2016 offseason and during training camp, he was converted to defensive tackle after playing outside linebacker during his time with Baltimore. Upshaw saw action in 13 games with five starts for the Falcons. His playing time increased as the season went on, as he recorded 12 of his 23 total tackles, his 0.5 sack, and his only forced fumble and fumble recovery in the last six games of the season, as the team went 5-1. Upshaw also recorded a sack on Patriots quarterback Tom Brady during Super Bowl LI. The former Alabama standout has played in 77 career games with 56 starts and has recorded 206 total tackles (124 solo), eight passes defensed, 5.5 sacks, five fumble recoveries, and four forced fumbles.