The Falcons are down to the wire on their roster decisions, with the 53-man deadline set for Sunday at 6:00 p.m. EST. Atlanta has been carrying 90 players through training camp and the preseason, but that number has to get cut fast as the league mandate kicks in.
This camp has already featured plenty of movement. The Falcons have been cycling through additions, including edge rusher Cameron Sample, Za'Darius Thomas and wide receiver Beaux Collins, among others.
There’s still one more chance for players to make a case for themselves, and it comes Friday night against the Miami Dolphins. Atlanta and Miami are set for a 7:00 p.m. kickoff at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, and the game could help shape the final roster picture before the cuts start rolling in.
Some parts of the roster are already spoken for. James Pearce Jr. is expected to begin the season on the Reserve/Suspended list, so that situation is essentially settled. Beyond that, the Falcons have taken a stab at projecting their 53-man group, including players who are sitting squarely on the bubble, and they plan to update that forecast again on Saturday after the Dolphins game.
The real action, though, won’t wait until Sunday. Releases are expected to start coming out once the game is over, and players who clear waivers will then be eligible to join the 16-man practice squad.
The roster count and any breaking news will continue to unfold throughout the weekend.
In Other News...
Falcons QB Idea Sounds Bold Until You Consider The Bigger Problem
Skip Bayless tossed out a provocative idea on his show, suggesting Shedeur Sanders could win more games than the quarterbacks currently in Atlanta and even floated the notion of Sanders joining the Falcons. It is the sort of take that gets attention because the Falcons do have a quarterback competition already underway, and the conversation around the position has been one of the franchises biggest storylines as camp has unfolded.
Kevin Stefanskis decision to choose another quarterback over Sanders earlier only adds another layer to the discussion, but the larger issue for Atlanta is more basic than the hot-take appeal. The Falcons are already sorting through their own depth chart and coaching preferences, which makes any realistic path to adding Sanders look remote, even if the argument for his talent is easy enough to understand. [Read more 🡒]
Former Falcons Cut Is Suddenly Making Carolina Look Smart
Casey Washingtons departure from Atlanta barely registered at the time, with the Falcons letting him go during OTAs before Carolina picked him up early in training camp. Since then, he has quietly forced his way into the conversation by turning preseason snaps into production, catching nine of 11 targets for 91 yards and a touchdown in two games while putting himself near the top of the league in preseason receiving yards.
For the Panthers, the appeal is obvious: Washington has given them useful depth in a room where the back end of the roster is still taking shape. He is competing for one of those final wide receiver jobs, likely as a WR5 or WR6, and his summer has at least made Carolina look like it found a player worth keeping close after Atlanta moved on. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Receiver Is Suddenly Crashing Atlantas Final Roster Battle
Vinny Anthony II has made the kind of late-summer push that can change a roster conversation in a hurry. The undrafted rookie wide receiver flashed in the Falcons preseason win over the Indianapolis Colts, finishing with four catches for 43 yards, and he has also added value as a kick returner while Atlanta sorts through its receiver depth.
Will McFadden has already noted that Anthony is firmly in the mix, which is exactly the kind of momentum an under-the-radar player needs at this stage. With the Falcons narrowing down the final wideout spots, Anthony has turned a quiet camp story into one worth watching closely as the decisions get tougher. [Read more 🡒]