Movers and shakers from Falcons final preseason game vs. Dallas Cowboys

I didn’t know if we would see Koo in the final preseason game. I didn’t know if we needed to, particularly after Morris spoke about the affinity he has for Koo earlier this week. Still, I decided if we did see Koo Friday, he needed to leave no doubt that any whisper of a competition at kicker was silence. After he missed a 51-yard field goal in the first half, the whispers weren’t silenced. I would argue they grew in volume.

On Friday night, if given the chance, Koo needed to do something to give fans the same sense of confidence in him that coaches seem to have. Did he do that? It’s difficult to say yes.

Now, do I think this means Koo doesn’t make the 53-man roster? No. No I do not. However, it does bring me up short in my original belief that Koo’s kicking issues in 2024 stemmed solely from the injury that landed him on IR. I have reservations about the Falcons’ kicking game, and Koo’s miss from 51 yards out Friday night didn’t dull those reservations.

This is tough because I am pointing out a player who didn’t even suit up on Friday night; who hasn’t suited up at all and who we have barely seen at practice of late. Agnew has been dealing with an oblique injury that has kept him from being 100%, while also making it difficult for me to continue to pencil him in on the 53-man roster.

Agnew was brought in as a return specialist this offseason to replace Avery Williams after his rookie contract expired. He also had some upside as a receiver, too. But here we are, with roster cuts looming, having seen very little of what Agnew can truly do. All the while other players — particularly receivers — are making their presence known and adding value to the offense.

It begs the question: Do the Falcons need Agnew? Truly I am curious. Because if the priority of Agnew is as a return man, the Falcons have options there already. Ray-Ray McCloud, Dee Alford and Mike Hughes can all return kicks. Heck, Natrone Brooks can, too, and did well doing so when given the chance in preseason action. Those four players? They feel like locks on the roster at this point. So, again, with spots so slim this season, do you need to spend a spot on a player who’s primary skill can be taken care of by others?

I do not know the answer. But it is something that has been on my mind pretty heavily since this week began and Morris provided more information on why we haven’t seen Agnew on the field the last couple weeks. Is Agnew someone the Falcons need? Or want? Because those two words could mean the difference in a roster spot.

Friday gave me few — if any — answers as to where the Falcons’ tackle depth goes from here. Morris did confirm that McGary will miss “significant time” for Atlanta after he was carted off the field during Wednesday’s practice. While a return-to-play timeline is something Morris is holding close to the vest, he did say an injured reserve designation is very possible for McGary as roster decisions loom.

Behind McGary, the Falcons cannot rely on Storm Norton, who reportedly underwent ankle surgery the day before McGary’s injury. He is expected to miss six-to-eight weeks. So, where does that leave Atlanta’s tackle depth? Well, it’s shaky.

One could argue Elijah Wilkinson now moves up the roster as he is the one who slotted into McGary’s vacant spot in practice Wednesday. Not only that, the Falcons chose not to play Wilkinson Friday because of the injuries sustained to the tackles on the roster already. That left Jack Nelson and Brandon Parker as the team’s tackles for much of the Dallas game. And while they were… fine, that’s not going to cut it against pro starters come the start of the regular season.

As it stands, the Falcons are at a crossroad. Do they stick with Wilkinson, plug and play him at right tackle and be patient in McGary and Norton’s recoveries? Or do they make a move? Acquire someone who falls off another 53-man roster, or find a way to package something together to get a backup off another team? When asked about Wilkinson and tackle depth, Morris left the door open for either scenario to take place.

“Elijah has played a lot of football in the National Football League,” Morris said when asked about holding Wilkinson out Friday. “He’s played a lot for us. He’s been here with us throughout the course of the last year, throughout the course of this year, and we are fired up to get those guys out there and watch those guys play and compete to see who’s going to be able to go out there vs. Tampa.”