Without the benefit of exhibition games because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Falcons’ task of cutting the roster from 80 to 53 will be more difficult than normal.
The team ended training camp Wednesday and will hold their final scrimmage, which will be closed to the media after warm-ups, Thursday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The Falcons have a league-mandated 4 p.m. Saturday deadline to make their cuts.
In the past, the Falcons have made the cuts in stages. But with teams allowed to have a 16-member practice squad, which may include six veterans, teams may try to slip the cuts in right under the deadline to minimize roster-poaching.
“If they’re here, what roles can they have?” Falcons coach Dan Quinn said. “So, (general manager) Thomas (Dimitroff) and I have certainly spent a lot of time together in the evenings, in the mornings, just discussing not just the roster, but the 16 additional spots that are available.”
Per the agreement between the NFL and NFLPA to play during the pandemic, practice squads were expanded to 16 players, including six players with no limit to their accrued NFL seasons. So, the Falcons will have six slots for “roster ready” veterans.
The depth along the defensive line will be tested early because of an injury to defensive tackle Marlon Davidson (knee sprain), who’s been out since Aug. 20. Defensive end Dante Fowler (ankle sprain) returned to practice Wednesday.
For the undrafted rookies, they would have played a lot in the exhibition games. The Falcons have evaluated the scrimmages like they were games. The goal is not let any good players out of the door.
“I would say for sure the concern is there because there’s nothing like that environment (of an exhibition game),” Quinn said. “‘Did he make that guy really miss or not?’ If there was a thud tackle. Those moments for sure are there where there’s, ‘OK, you saw it in the first game. Was that just a flash?’ "
Last season, wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus made the team as an undrafted rookie.
“I think when you see guys who are playing for the first time make the progress in a preseason with four games and you’re looking for the improvement, there’s definitely a better strategy for that based on the games,” Quinn said.
The Falcons, like the rest of the teams around the NFL have made adjustments.
“This year, I think we’ve all established, ‘Hey, 2020 is different,’” Quinn said. “We just tried to make the drills as competitive as we can. The scrimmages as competitive as we can. Pressure test them as much as we can in situations. That was the best way for us to get to the evaluation, but you’re absolutely right on.”
There are not many spots up for grabs on the Falcons’ 53-man roster.
“This week speeds up and slows down at the same time,” cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson said. “The coaches kind of know some of their decisions that they are going to make. Some of them they still have to make.”
The undrafted players have handled things well.
“For me, I’m telling the younger guys that this is your last opportunity to audition,” Wreh-Wilson said. “Every day, whether it’s the first week of training camp or the last week of training camp, it’s an audition. You are performing and representing yourself as well as trying to make this team. This is a place you want to be. For everybody it’s not a time to tighten up. It’s time to relax and put your best performances out there. "
The Falcons added veterans like wide receiver Laquon Treadwell, linebacker Deone Bucannon and defensive end Charles Harris, all former first-round picks over the offseason.
Here’s a position-by-position look at how the Falcons will cut down to 53 players for the start of the season:
OFFENSE
QUARTERBACKS (2)
Locks: Matt Ryan and Matt Schaub. Long shots: Kurt Benkert and Kyle Lauletta.
RUNNING BACKS (5/6)
Locks: Todd Gurley, Ito Smith, Brian Hill, Qadree Ollison and Keith Smith. Long shots: Mikey Daniel and Craig Reynolds.
WIDE RECEIVERS (6/7)
Locks: Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley, Russell Gage, Olamide Zaccheaus. On the bubble: Brandon Powell, Christian Blake, Chris Rowland. Long shots: Laquon Treadwell, Devin Gray, Juwan Green, Jalen McCleskey.
TIGHT ENDS (3/4)
Locks: Hayden Hurst, Luke Stocker and Jaeden Graham. Long shot: Jared Pinkney.
OFFENSIVE LINE (9/10)
Locks: Alex Mack, Jake Matthews, Kaleb McGary, Chris Lindstrom, Matt Hennessey, James Carpenter, Justin McCray. On the bubble: John Wetzel, Sean Harlow and Matt Gono. Long shots: Ka’John Armstrong, Justin Gooseberry, and Evin Ksiezarczyk.
DEFENSE
DEFENSIVE ENDS (5-6)
Locks: Dante Fowler, Takkarist McKinley, Allen Bailey, Steven Means. On the bubble: Charles Harris and Jacob Tuioti-Mariner. Long shot: Austin Edwards.
DEFENSIVE TACKLES (5/6)
Locks: Grady Jarrett, Tyeler Davison, Marlon Davidson and John Cominsky. On the bubble: Deadrin Senat. Long shots: Hinwa Allieu and Sailosi Latu.
LINEBACKERS (5/6)
Locks: Deion Jones, Foyesade Oluokun, Mykal Walker and LaRoy Reynolds. On the bubble: Deone Bucannon, Edmond Robinson. Long shot: Ray Wilborn.
CORNERBACKS (5/6)
Locks: A.J. Terrell, Darqueze Dennard, Isaiah Oliver, Kendall Sheffield and Blidi Wreh-Wilson. On the bubble: Jordan Miller. Long shots: Josh Hawkins, Delrick Abrams, Tyler Hall.
SAFETIES (4/5)
Locks: Ricardo Allen, Keanu Neal, Damontae Kazee, Sharrod Neasman and Jaylinn Hawkins. Long shots: Chris Cooper, J.J. Wilcox, Jamal Carter.
SPECIALISTS (3)
Locks: K - Younghoe Koo, P - Sterling Hofrichter, LS - Josh Harris.
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