The Falcons’ linebacker room has changed fast enough that Josh Woods may be feeling the pressure.
Atlanta has gotten strong production at the top of the depth chart from Divine Deablo, rookies Kendal Daniels and Harold Perkins Jr., with Christian Harris next in line and Woods mostly filling a special teams role. That’s been his lane for three years, and it’s the kind of job every team needs handled. But the Falcons are now looking outside the building for help in that same area, and that’s where things get tricky for Woods.
According to ESPN’s Marc Raimondi, Atlanta signed former third-round pick Brian Asamoah II to the practice squad yesterday after a tryout on Tuesday. The Falcons already had an open roster spot after promoting Zach Harrison to the active roster last week, so no corresponding move was needed. Still, the move reads like direct competition for Woods.
Woods’ margin for error already looked thin. In the season opener against the Steelers, third-round rookie Zachariah Branch had a 66-yard kick return wiped out by a holding penalty on Woods. Then Woods was flagged again for holding in the Falcons’ Week 3 win over the Green Bay Packers last week.
Asamoah brings a different profile. Minnesota took him in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft with the 66th overall pick, and he spent three seasons with the Vikings, appearing in 50 games without making a start at linebacker because he mostly worked on special teams.
He’s also had stops with the Raiders’ and Bengals’ practice squads in 2025, though his only game-day action came in Cincinnati. Last season, he played in four games before landing on IR with a knee injury, and he had not gotten another NFL opportunity until now.
At 26, Asamoah is four years younger than Woods, who turned 30 in July. He’s also a strong athlete, and that gives Jeff Ulbrich a player worth developing on the practice squad.
The Falcons don’t need him to do everything right away. They can let him learn the system and, once he’s ready, help out on special teams.
The numbers point to why that matters. Asamoah has nearly 600 career special teams snaps and only 60 defensive snaps. He also comes in with good size at 6-foot-1 and 230 pounds.
And with special teams under new STC Craig Aukerman not exactly humming, the Falcons may be searching for cleaner execution and better blocking to help smooth things over for both Olamide Zaccheus and Brian Robinson Jr.
Woods had a solid summer, but his hold on the 53-man roster was already uncertain with JD Bertrand on IR and possibly nearing a return. Asamoah’s arrival only adds more urgency to that situation.
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