The Falcons tweaked the roster a bit, as the team announced five players are heading to the IR — Deion Jones, Jalen Mayfield, Isaiah Oliver, Marlon Davidson, and John FitzPatrick. Some were surprising while others were expected, though each player can return after the Falcons Week 4 matchup against the Browns.
Davidson has missed much of the preseason with knee issues and even underwent a scope prior to Atlanta’s preseason exhibition against the Jets. He’s undoubtedly nearing the end of the road with the Falcons, which is disappointing because he’s been dealt bad hand after bad hand. FitzPatrick was the other player expected to hit the IR, but his situation is slightly different than Davidson’s.
When Davidson returns from his stint, he’ll certainly contribute along the defensive front. However, when the rookie tight end returns, he’ll more than likely just play a reserve role. FitzPatrick will only play sparingly as an extra blocker and as the team’s fourth tight end. Mayfield landing on the IR isn’t exactly surprising either, as he’s been dealing with a back injury all Summer. When he returns, Elijah Wilkinson will still be the starting left guard unless he implodes.
It’s a little disappointing to see Oliver miss the first four games. He seemed to be working his way back and was on track to be ready for Week 1. The defense will surely miss his presence as the nickel corner. Dean Pees will have to rely on some combination of Dee Alford and Mike Ford until Week 5; I’d give the nod to Alford to start, though.
Last but certainly not least, Deion Jones. Hopefully, this isn’t a setback in his recovery from offseason shoulder surgery. It also could be an indication the team plans on moving him. I’ll probably go with the third option — the Falcons are deep at linebacker, and Jones still isn’t 100%. He seemed to return with the right attitude and is one of my favorite Falcons. I’m a little biased and just want my fellow LSU Tiger to succeed in Atlanta again.
After placing those five players on injured reserve, the Falcons officially announced the waiver claims of Chuma Edoga and Matt Dickerson while adding three other familiar faces in a corresponding move — Abdullah Anderson, Nick Kwiatkoski, and Colby Gossett.
I’ve already written about Edoga and Dickerson, but if you missed it, you can read about them.
As for the others, Anderson was a surprise cut earlier in the week. The veteran was going to be an essential depth piece for a team that is extremely thin along the defensive line. Gossett seems to be one of this staff’s favorites because he consistently sticks around. He started at left guard in the final contest of the 2021 season and is clearly valued in Atlanta. Finally, Kwiatkoski returns after a relatively quiet offseason. The veteran linebacker has plenty of experience but has clearly lost the edge that made him one of the best players at his position years ago.
Even with this flurry of moves, the Falcons still probably aren’t done tweaking the roster ahead of Week 1.
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Photographer: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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