The Falcons and the rest of the league will cut down rosters to 53 players in a little over 24 hours. Though the bottom of the roster is still churning, the top is quite solidified.
Even coming into training camp, there were very few starting positions up for grabs, one of them being the starting boundary corner position opposite A.J. Terrell. Mike Hughes and Clark Phillips III were competing, with the former garnering most of the opportunities with the first-team defense.
The position battle has been decided. D. Orlando Ledbetter reports that Raheem Morris has named Hughes the starter, even though he’s struggled as a starter with several different clubs.
“That’s probably a Mike Hughes question, because I can only answer for what I’ve seen and what he’s done since I’ve been here,” Morris said when speaking about Hughes’ struggles finding a permanent home. “I know as a former first-rounder that’s been in a lot of places that had a lot of high hopes for and love for throughout the draft process, and then getting a chance to come here and work with him.
“So, I can’t tell you what’s held him back, but I can tell you what he’s doing now – showing up in ball productivity, being around the ball and being in the right position… He’s done a nice job of doing a lot of things here.”
The 27-year-old spent the first three seasons of his career with the Vikings, who drafted him in the first round. Before finishing his rookie contract, Hughes was traded to the Chiefs. In Kansas City, he performed admirably, but more importantly, he remained healthy.
Unfortunately, Hughes didn’t receive a contract from the Chiefs and inked a one-year deal to join the Lions. It was another less-than-stellar stint before joining the Falcons in free agency.
Hughes didn’t see much time with Atlanta’s starters last year, with Jeff Okudah and Clark Phillips taking a bulk of the snaps. With the revolving door that the Falcons have had at cornerback, I’d be shocked if we didn’t see different combinations of Dee Alford, Phillips, and Hughes at the boundary opposite of Terrell and nickel position throughout the season.
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Photographer: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
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