Finally, the dreadful preseason is over, and football is on the horizon. Unfortunately, for many players, that means cutting season. The Falcons will have to make a bevy of cuts before Saturday’s deadline, trimming the roster to 53. There are a few difficult decisions to predict, but for the most part, we have a pretty good idea of who will be making the roster based on who was kept out of last night’s game.
Quarterbacks
- Matt Ryan
- Matt Schaub
No tricks here. It’s going to be Ryan and Schaub in the QB room again.
Running Backs
- Devonta Freeman
- Ito Smith
- Qadree Ollison
- Kenjon Barner
Brian Hill had an excellent preseason, but Ollison did as well, and the Falcons used a draft pick on him this year. He will snag the third and final running back spot. Barner is listed as a running back but is really a return man – a position he won by default because of how abominable the others performed when returning kicks/punts.
Wide Receivers
- Julio Jones
- Calvin Ridley
- Mohamed Sanu
- Russell Gage
- Justin Hardy
- Christian Blake
The first five are locks, but I think the Falcons keep at least six receivers. Blake has been a reliable target all preseason, and I like the odds of him making the 53-man roster.
Tight Ends
- Austin Hooper
- Luke Stocker
- Jaeden Graham
I don’t think the Falcons will keep four tight ends, but they do take a gamble on Graham’s athleticism after a stellar preseason. Stocker and Paulsen have the same skill set. Graham could bring a wrinkle or two to this Atlanta offense.
Offensive Lineman
- Alex Mack
- Chris Lindstrom
- Jamon Brown
- James Carpenter
- Jake Mathews
- Kaleb McGary
- Wes Schweitzer
- Matt Gono
- Ty Sambrailo
No surprises here. This should be the offensive line group heading into week one.
Defensive Tackles
- Grady Jarrett
- Tyler Davison
- Jack Crawford
- Deadrin Senat
The Falcons are going to play several different defensive fronts this year from a 3-4 to a 4-3, but this is the group you will see the most inside the tackles.
Defensive Ends/OLBs
- Takk McKinley
- Vic Beasley Jr.
- John Cominsky
- Allen Bailey
- Adrian Clayborn
Some guys like Austin Larkin had productive preseason, but they didn’t show enough to earn a roster spot.
Linebackers
- Deion Jones
- De’Vondre Campbell
- Foyesade Oluokon
- Duke Riley
- Jermaine Grace
- Bruce Carter
The first five on this list are locks. Duke Riley showed just enough to warrant another season to prove himself, and Jermaine Grace was a superstar in the preseason. Bruce Carter isn’t anything special, but because of the lack of experience outside the top-two on this list, I think the Falcons roll with six linebackers.
Secondary
- Desmond Trufant
- Isaiah Oliver
- Keanu Neal
- Ricardo Allen
- Damontae Kazee
- Kendall Sheffield
- Jordan Miller
- Blidi Wreh-Wilson
- Sharrod Neasman
- Kemal Ishmael
- Chris Cooper
You can never have too many secondary players. This group is going to be relying on a ton of youth, and they desperately need their two guys at the back-end – Neal and Allen – to stay healthy.
Special Teams
- Matt Bryant
- Matt Bosher
- Josh Harris
See what I did here? I didn’t hesitate. The Falcons are bringing Matt Bryant in for a “workout.” That really means he will be signing with Atlanta this afternoon. Taveccio has been atrocious in the preseason, and Blair Walsh… C’mon.