The Falcons didn’t stay quiet after setting their initial 53-man roster on Sunday night. By Monday afternoon, Atlanta had already made its first wave of changes, landing three players off waivers: edge rushers Yasir Abdullah and Jared Ivey, plus offensive tackle Cameron Williams.
That haul matters because the Falcons entered the day with a thin look at edge. The roster had only two true edge rushers in Za'Darius Smith and Samson Ebukam, so adding two more there was a clear priority. Abdullah came from the Jaguars, while Ivey was claimed from the Seahawks.
Ivey brings size first and foremost. The former Georgia Tech and Ole Miss pass rusher measured 6'6 and 274 pounds at the NFL Combine in 2025, went undrafted, and signed with Seattle as a free agent.
He appeared in two games for the Seahawks, playing 15 snaps on defense and 10 on special teams. His college production was much louder: after two seasons at Georgia Tech, where he had 1.5 sacks, he transferred to Ole Miss and turned into one of the SEC’s better edge threats, posting 11.5 sacks in 2023 and 10.5 in 2024.
Abdullah gives Atlanta another athletic edge body. Drafted by Jacksonville in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Louisville, he checks in at 6'1 and 240 pounds.
He played in three games as a rookie, then saw much more action in 2024 and 2025. Last season, he logged a career-high 14 games with three starts and finished with 18 tackles.
In 2025, he played in 10 games and recorded nine tackles. He still hasn’t posted an NFL sack, but his college résumé was productive, with 10.0 sacks in 2021 and 9.5 in 2022 at Louisville.
The Falcons also addressed the tackle depth chart. Michael Jerrell had secured the swing tackle role behind Jake Matthews and Jawaan Taylor, but after him the only other option was 7th-round pick Ethan Onianwa.
Williams gives Atlanta another body there after Philadelphia took him in the sixth round of the 2025 draft out of Texas. He measured 6'6 and 317 pounds at the NFL Combine and made one start for the Eagles, playing 51 snaps in a January 4th loss to the Commanders.
League rules require the three waiver claims to be added to the 53-man roster and kept there for at least two days, which means three players who were on Atlanta’s initial roster Sunday night will have to be waived or released today. The Falcons do have some flexibility elsewhere, with four quarterbacks, 13 defensive backs, and five linebackers on the roster.
None of Atlanta’s cuts from yesterday were claimed on waivers, which means the team can bring any of them back onto the 16-man practice squad immediately now that the waiver deadline has passed. Multiple reports also say offensive tackle Wanya Morris has signed with the Dallas Cowboys practice squad.
The Falcons’ practice squad picture should become clearer this afternoon.
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 🡒]