FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) -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.

During the last 2 1/2 years with Green Bay, the 6-foot-2, 360-pound Jackson started 27 of 34 games. He missed six weeks with injuries in 2004.

Jackson is the run-stopper Atlanta lacked to ``hold the point,'' as coach Jim Mora puts it, and keep guards, centers and fullbacks from blocking out linebackers. The Falcons' run defense collapsed in the final two months of 2005 as the team lost six of eight games and missed the playoffs.

Jackson will likely share his job with second-year veteran Darrell Shropshire, who replaced incumbent Chad Lavalais in training camp and started the last two preseason games.

Rookie Tommy Jackson, a former Auburn standout, has worked his way into the rotation at nose tackle, and Mora indicated that he and Shropshire will trade series during the first half Saturday night at Tennessee.

Grady Jackson is not expected to play against the Titans.

Atlanta is likely to keep four reserves - Jonathan Babineaux, Chancy Davis, Shropshire and Tommy Jackson - behind starters John Abraham, Patrick Kerney, Rod Coleman and Grady Jackson.

Oakland drafted Grady Jackson out of Knoxville College in 1997, and he spent the next five years with the Raiders. He has 32.5 sacks in a career that included a 24-game tenure with New Orleans, which placed him on waivers midway through 2003.

Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.