Perhaps the hardest part for new Falcons coach Arthur Smith was informing 27 players that they would not make the team’s initial 53-man roster.
“It was not an easy day,” Smith admitted.
There were a lot of close calls for some of the players who went through a pretty tough training camp, mostly in the Georgia heat.
“It’s really tough on guys, for an example a guy in (offensive tackle) Willie Beavers’ spot,” Smith said. “He started off and he had a strong camp. There are lot of factors that go into why we made the decision that we did.”
Beavers was listed as the No. 1 right tackle on the team’s depth chart, but that was mostly because Kaleb McGary started camp on the physically unable to perform list. McGary worked his way back up and Beavers was really competing for the backup swing tackle spot.
Credit: John Bazemore
Credit: John Bazemore
Jason Springs, a former second-round pick of the Green Bay Packers, made the initial roster over Beavers, who was added to the practice squad on Wednesday.
“They are not easy conversations,” Smith said. “You have a lot of appreciation for the guys that come in here. It’s the NFL for players and coaches, but there is a human element to it. I have a great appreciation for the guys who put a lot into it and how they worked out here.”
Smith and general manager Terry Fontenot shared the news with most of the players.
“Every conversation that we have with these players, we’ll be honest with the way we see it,” Smith said. “There is a right way to do it. That’s what Terry and I will always do here.”
Smith and Fontenot were hired to take a collaborative approach to the building of the team.
“With Terry and I, that started back in January,” Smith said. “We’ve made a lot of decisions that have led up to this point. We’ve got a really good football staff. Just Terry and I, we know the roles we are in.”
The trimming down to 53-process went smooth. The Falcons were the first team in the league to announce their cuts about noon, four hours before the league imposed deadline.
“It was an efficient process,” Smith said. “A collaborative effort on the personnel side and the coaching side. We’ve got to make the best decisions that we can for the Falcons. It’s pretty easy working with Terry.”
Getting down to 53, was just the beginning. The Falcons immediately started to fill out their 16-man practice squad and will continue to evaluate the waived players and released veterans who don’t have to clear waivers. They claimed guard Colby Gossett off waivers and placed left guard Josh Andrews, who broke his hand during the closed portion of practice on Tuesday, on injured reserve.
“With the way the schedule is, we have a whole week,” Smith said. “With all of the different rules, the 16-person squad. There’s the 54th and 55th spot. There is a lot of flexibility and you have a whole week to prepare. I think you’ll see a lot of roster manipulation throughout the week.”
The Falcons kept three quarterbacks in Matt Ryan, Josh Rosen and Feleipe Franks. They are unlikely to carry three quarterbacks into the season. They also are looking for secondary and offensive line help.
Credit: Curtis Compton / Curtis.Compton@
Credit: Curtis Compton / Curtis.Compton@
Of course, every team is always on the prowl for pass-rushing help.
“Everything is fluid,” Smith said. “Nothing is set in stone. We’ll monitor everything all week. Really nothing finalizing until we get into late next week before we get ready for Philly.”
The Falcons hold the fourth sport on the waiver wire behind the Jaguars, Jets and Texans.
“We have a strategy we’re trying to stick to, but things come up,” Smith said. “It’s been a very smooth process. We’ll continue to look at things as they come up possibly roster-wise. We’ll monitor it all week long.”
The Falcons started looking at other 31 teams’ rosters last Thursday.
“We are in Year One,” Smith said. “We have a new staff. We’ll have a lot of roster movement. There were some guys who could prove it in camp. There were other guys that we really needed to see play. It will pay off for us as the year goes on.”
Some of the players on the practice squad will eventually make their way to the roster.
“You sacrifice some things short term for long-term gain,” Smith said. “That’s been our focus. We’ll see over the next 18 weeks, how it plays out.”
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