The Falcons’ first 53-man roster of the season is set, and Sunday brought a mix of expected cuts, a notable trade, and a few decisions that reshaped the depth chart in Flowery Branch.
Atlanta is still far from done building the roster it will carry into the regular season, which opens in Pittsburgh in two weeks. For now, though, the club has trimmed down to its initial group, with 37 players waived and 16 of them still candidates to return on the practice squad.
The biggest move of the day came when Ian Cunningham added Gervon Dexter Sr. from the Chicago Bears. To make that deal happen, the Falcons sent former fourth-round pick Clark Phillips III to Chicago.
Phillips opened his Atlanta career with seven starts across his first two seasons, but injuries in 2025 stalled his progress and opened the door for others to move ahead of him. Sunday’s trade was the final step in a disappointing run for the 24-year-old corner.
The secondary also produced a couple of clear winners in depth roles. Henderson and Dewalt both survived the cut and are set to handle backup work, with much of their value coming on special teams.
Henderson especially earned his place with a strong finish last season after Mike Hughes went down. Both still have work to do, though, since more defensive backs could hit the waiver wire in the coming days.
Their spots were not guaranteed. Beating out Darnay Holmes, Cobee Bryant, and A.J. Woods made those roster wins stand out even more in a crowded defensive back room.
Another player who came out ahead was Jack Strand, but his rise comes with a catch. Atlanta came into the summer expecting its quarterback battle to be settled by now, yet there still isn’t a clear answer with Week 1 closing in. The decision to keep four quarterbacks protects Strand from being claimed elsewhere, but it also leaves the Falcons carrying a roster spot they may need later.
The trade for Dexter also changed the picture along the defensive front. Carlos Allen Jr. was cut after an encouraging summer as an undrafted rookie, but he remains a strong candidate for the practice squad. His release had been trending in that direction anyway, mostly because of the growing number of bodies ahead of him.
Dexter’s arrival should help the rest of the line, too. At 324 pounds, he gives Atlanta another big interior piece and frees up Brandon Dorlus and Zach Harrison to spend more time outside as pass rushers.
That matters even more with Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. unavailable. Inside, Maason Smith and Da’Shawn Hand now have another heavy body to share the load and help against the run.
Tyler Goodson was another notable casualty. Keeping four quarterbacks likely squeezed him off the roster, even though he looked like a lock after Friday’s preseason win over the Dolphins.
He should still be a strong practice squad option. With his exit, the Falcons will go into the season with just two running backs.
Billy Bowman also made the initial roster despite not being active all summer while recovering from the torn Achilles that ended his rookie year early. He was not expected to be ready for the start of the regular season, but his placement on the 53-man roster instead of injured reserve suggests the Falcons believe he will play at some point this season. He could still get an injury designation this week, which would open a spot for another defensive back, but that has not been decided yet.
One of the more surprising moves came on the edge, where Atlanta waived veteran pass rusher Azeez Ojulari. He signed a one-year deal after dealing with injuries in recent seasons and had been expected to take on a bigger role after the losses of Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. Instead, he didn’t make the roster, leaving the Falcons with only two pure edge rushers in Samson Ebukam and Za’Darius Smith.
More decisions are coming, but Sunday gave Atlanta a much clearer look at how this roster is taking shape.
In Other News...
Falcons May Not Be Done After Initial 53-Man Roster Decisions
The Falcons are into the next phase of roster building now that the initial 53-man group is set, but the work around the edges does not appear finished. With the NFL's deadline in the books, Atlanta is still scanning the league for possible help, and the list of available options includes a few recent cuts who could fit spots on the active roster or the practice squad.
Evan Neal, Jaydon Blue, Tyrel Dodson and Jack Pyburn are among the players being discussed as possible targets, with each bringing a different type of value depending on what Atlanta wants to address. None of it is guaranteed, of course, but the fact that the Falcons are already being linked to fresh additions suggests the final roster picture could still change before long. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons 53-Man Roster Leaves Several Spots Feeling Far From Settled
The Falcons have their initial 53-man roster in place after the NFL cutdown deadline, but it does not read like a finished product. Atlanta kept four quarterbacks, two running backs, five wide receivers, three tight ends, nine offensive linemen, nine defensive linemen and five linebackers, a mix that gives the team plenty of flexibility while also leaving a few corners of the roster feeling thin. The trade for Gervon Dexter was one of the more notable moves in getting to this point, and it came alongside the release of several fan favorites.
Even with the deadline passed, the roster looks more like a first draft than a final answer. There are still spots that invite questions, especially when a team carries that kind of volume at some positions and a little less certainty at others. Atlanta has made its opening statement on what it wants this group to be, but the way the final few jobs settled suggests the Falcons may not be done sorting out the edges of the roster just yet. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Just Made A Telling Move Up Front Before Cuts
The Falcons kept reshaping their front line ahead of the NFLs 53-man roster deadline, making a move that says plenty about where they still see a need. Atlanta sent cornerback Clark Phillips III and a fifth-round pick to the Bears for defensive tackle Gervon Dexter, a deal that brings in a bigger body at a position the team has been trying to stabilize.
Dexter arrives in the final year of his contract and is expected to step in as the Falcons starting nose tackle, giving them another option in the middle as cutdown day approaches. For a roster still being sorted out, the trade is less about long-term patience and more about shoring up defensive tackle depth right now, which is usually the kind of move teams make when they think the problem is immediate. [Read more 🡒]