You can scratch cornerback Robert Alford from the list of free agents hitting the market in the offseason.
The team announced that Alford has signed a contract extension with the Falcons that will keep him in Atlanta beyond the 2016 season. Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that it is a four-year deal with $21 million in guarantees and up to $38 million in total money.
Alford joined the Falcons as a second-round pick in 2013 and is in the final year of his rookie contract. Alford has started every game he’s played for Atlanta over the last three seasons and has returned interceptions for touchdowns in each of the last two seasons. He has nine interceptions overall over his four years with the team.
Alford was one of two cornerbacks that the Falcons took early in the 2013 draft. First-round pick Desmond Trufant is on injured reserve at the moment, but is under contract for next season and an extension for him would lock the duo in as front-line members of the Falcons for some time.
