The Atlanta Falcons had a clear chance to add a familiar face with useful size, outside ability and red-zone value. Instead, Cedric Tillman is headed to a division rival’s practice squad.
Tillman signed with the New Orleans Saints after being released by the Cleveland Browns last week, and the move landed with a little extra sting for Atlanta because of the Kevin Stefanski connection. Tillman spent the last three years being coached by Stefanski in Cleveland, which made him look like a natural fit for a Falcons team in need of help at receiver.
That fit never turned into action. Atlanta apparently never seriously pursued him after the cut deadline, even though the former third-round pick seemed like the kind of low-cost addition that could have helped immediately. The Saints, not the Falcons, ended up getting him.
At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, Tillman brings the kind of frame Atlanta could have used on the outside behind Drake London and Jahan Dotson. As a WR5 or WR6, he would have been a worthwhile depth piece, especially as someone with a skill set Stefanski already knows how to use. The former Tennessee standout also comes with a resume that stands out for a player available in free agency: 71 receptions, 833 yards and five career touchdowns across three seasons.
And unlike the trade chatter that floated around him earlier in the offseason, signing Tillman would not have required Atlanta to give up any draft capital.
The Falcons, though, chose to stay put. After carrying just five receivers, they brought back released wideouts Vinny Anthony II, Dylan Drummond and Juice Wells Jr. on the practice squad. So while the room wasn’t exactly overflowing, they also didn’t act like a team in urgent need of another addition.
New Orleans had a more obvious opening. The Saints placed Jordyn Tyson on IR and now have only four wide receivers on the active roster: Chris Olave, Devaughn Vele, and rookies Bryce Lance and Barrion Brown. That path to more playing time likely made the Saints more appealing for Tillman, who is betting on opportunity over familiarity.
From Atlanta’s side, it’s a missed chance to make a straightforward move. The Falcons could have made this easy. They didn’t, and now Tillman is with the Saints instead.
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