Final Roster Cuts were made this week, and there were a few shocking names listed on some waivers over the weekend. Before I get started, let me get this out of the way, I’m not lobbying for any of these guys to start or even be on the team. However, these are guys who were once seen as contributors to NFL teams that could benefit from a fresh start and add quality depth.
EDGE Noah Spence
This was the most surprising cut to me. Tampa is pretty thin at outside linebacker, and Spence was once considered a 1st round talent before he got in trouble at Ohio State and transferred. Spence had 5.5 sacks his rookie year but disappointed in the past two years with one total sack. Spence still has a lot of athletic upside – maybe our staff sees something in him. Spoiler alert: Probably not.
EDGE Jachai Polite
I actually had Polite going to the Falcons in our first mock draft (oops) in the first round before his legendary combine meltdown, and he won’t even break camp with the Jets after being a third-round pick. He notched 11 sacks last year at Florida, so why in the world would New York cut him before his rookie season? In short, he’s a moron. It’s been reported he was fined over $100k throughout camp for disciplinary issues. All of the talent in the world and it looks like he’s going to waste it. I don’t see the Falcons (or any team that will be winning more than three games this season) making a spot for him on their roster.
G Josh Garnett
Even though the Falcons brought in Jamon Brown and James Carpenter before drafting Chris Lindstrom, this offensive line still feels like a weakness. After being taken 28th out of Stanford in 2016, Garnett has been very disappointing. However, this is another high upside play if Atlanta decides to move on from Wes Schweitzer in favor of Garnett.
DT Willie Henry
This would be a very welcome addition to me. 25-year-old Willie Henry looked primed for a breakout when he had 3.5 sacks and 33 tackles in 2017. Henry was placed on IR for a hernia after three games in 2018 but is still a very talented player. Baltimore is only carrying 4 DL, and Henry was a casualty. He’d be quality depth on this roster.
WR Laquon Treadwell
One of the most athletically gifted receivers in recent memory in the SEC, Treadwell had some tough luck with injuries and was eventually buried on the depth chart behind a lot of talented Vikings receivers after he was taken 23rd overall in 2016. Treadwell still has a ton of upside. However, the Falcons seem to like the group of wideouts they have now, even though Treadwell unlocking his potential would make him a perfect Mo Sanu clone.