OFFENSE
Michael Penix Jr. | Kirk Cousins | Easton Stick
Atlanta’s quarterback room feels settled at this point. All three have had great moments in camp, and Stick has more than earned his spot after his performance in training camp and the preseason. We’ll see what the future holds with Cousins, but he’s been an asset on the field in helping this team get ready.
Bijan Robinson | Tyler Allgeier | Carlos Washington Jr.
In her 53-man projection, Tori had the Falcons only keeping two running backs. Her reasoning centered around Washington’s hamstring injury, and the lack of a player stepping up to claim the spot in his absence. Nathan Carter made a compelling case in the second preseason game, but I can’t shake what I saw from Washington in camp before he got hurt. He was playing really well. Plus, he knows this offense and the team knows him. If Washington is anywhere close to coming back soon, I’d give him the nod. If he’s not, it will be fascinating to see if the team goes with Carter as the third back or only keeps two as Tori predicted before adding someone down the line.
Drake London | Darnell Mooney | Ray-Ray McCloud | Casey Washington | KhaDarel Hodge | Jamal Agnew
Tough cuts: David Sills V and Chris Blair
Washington has been a standout in camp and has rightfully earned a bigger role on this offense even when Mooney does come back. Although his name has been tossed out as a bubble guy, I feel like he’s a lock. Hodge and Agnew offer a ton of special teams value, although the latter has not been on the field of late and I feel obligated to note he’s someone I have a question mark next to in my notebook. To me, the bubble battle comes down to Sills and Chris Blair. I wouldn’t be shocked if one of those two makes it over Agnew because he’s missed time, and they both would be great practice squad candidates if they clear waivers.
Kyle Pitts | Charlie Woerner | Teagan Quitoriano
Pitts and Woerner are no surprise, and Quitoriano has been solid since Day 1 of camp. Moving right along.
Jake Matthews | Matthew Bergeron | Ryan Neuzil | Chris Lindstrom | Kaleb McGary | Elijah Wilkinson | Jovaughn Gwyn | Jack Nelson
Tough cuts: Kyle Hinton and Joshua Gray
Figuring out what this group will look like is a mystery wrapped inside of an enigma. At the time of publishing, the only reports on McGary are inconclusive, which makes it difficult to know whether or not he will take a spot here. He could be a candidate for one of the team’s two preseason “injured reserve – designated to return” slots, which would allow him to bypass waivers and go straight on IR when the season starts. For now, though, he’s here on the 53-man. However, Storm Norton, who will reportedly miss 6-8 weeks did not make the cut. He could easily be back in the future, though, if another team doesn’t sign him.
So, with all of that out of the way. The depth pieces for Atlanta have had mixed results this preseason, and there really hasn’t been a true standout. Wilkinson and Gwyn have position versatility, which is why I gave them the spots here. Gwyn is the backup center but can also play guard, whereas Wilkinson can play on the inside or outside. The final spot is going to seventh-round rookie Jack Nelson in part because of the injuries to McGary and Norton. The Falcons need tackles on this roster, and Nelson is a young player to develop.
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