The first round of offseason cuts happened four days after the Falcons’ first preseason game. The second, which will get the roster down to 80 players, will happen three days after the second preseason game — tomorrow. It is only five players, while the final cut down will be a 27-player reduction to the team’s final 53-man roster.
August 17 — four days after the Falcons’ first preseason game
NFL teams are required to cut down to 85 players.
August 24 — three days after the second preseason game
NFL teams are required to cut down to 80 players.
August 31 — two days after the third preseason game
NFL teams are required to cut down to 53 players
By 4:00 PM, the Falcons will get to an 80-man roster. A.J. McCarron is an obvious candidate after suffering a torn ACL in the preseason matchup against Miami, but the team will likely bring in another body to compete with Feliepe Franks, so we have to assume five players will be cut between now and tomorrow’s deadline. Here are my candidates:
RB D’Onta Foreman
WR Juwan Green
DT Zac Dawe
OLB Tuzar Skipper
S D’Wayne Johnson Jr
OT Kion Smith
TE David Wells
DT Eli Ankou
WR Trevor Davis
WR Antonio Nunn
Given that the Falcons have 11 receivers, I fully expect at least one of the cuts being at the position, possibly even two. The same could be said for the cornerback room with nine rostered players. This cut down isn’t nearly as significant as the final one will be, obviously. Generally speaking, this group of players is on the fringe of every single roster. Remember, nearly half of the original 90-man roster will not play for the Falcons this season, and an overwhelming majority of those players won’t play in the NFL at all. Some will be lucky to cling on to a couple of practice squads. but this is a difficult time for these guys, so be mindful they’re human beings and deserve to be treated with respect.
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