The focus for the Falcons in their last exhibition game is on the back end of their 53-man roster and the 10 players they can sign to the practice squad.
Players deep down the roster must be ready to fill a position and play several roles on the special-teams units.
The Falcons got a headstart on trimming their roster Wednesday when they waived wide receiver Reginald Davis III, offensive tackle Wil Freeman, and safeties Jordan Moore and Deron Washington.
The Falcons also reached an injury settlement with offensive tackle Kevin Graf.
After facing Jacksonville, the Falcons must cut down to 53 players by 4 p.m. Saturday.
The Falcons have an international exemption for former European rugby star Alex Gray and appear set to place cornerback Jalen Collins on the NFL’s suspended list.
The Falcons will trim their roster in stages. The first wave will come Friday and the last group right around the deadline. The final group likely will include the players they want to re-sign to practice squad.
Collins, who’s set to serve his second league suspension, won’t count against the 53-man roster. He’s eligible to return to the roster Nov. 26, after 10 games. He served a four-game suspension at the outset of last season. Both were using performance-enhancing drugs.
Once the roster is down to 53, the Falcons can start to construct their 10-member practice squad after midnight Sunday.
The Falcons can sign free agents who do not have an accrued season of free-agency credit or who were on the 46-player active list for less than nine regular-season games during their only accrued season or seasons.
A player cannot participate on a practice squad for more than three seasons.
“There is definitely a group already that we’ve identified that we think really has some skill-development stuff,” Quinn said. “There are a few more that we have (to evaluate) … some need reps and reps and reps to get more comfortable playing ball.”
Quinn expects the competition to be stiffest at wide receiver, tight end and linebacker.
Behind wide receivers Julio Jones, Mohamed Sanu, Taylor Gabriel, Andre Roberts and Justin Hardy, there’s is a fierce battle for the sixth and possibly seventh spot.
Nick Williams has played well on special teams, while Marvin Hall and Reggie Davis have had strong exhibition seasons. Also, the staff likes Deante Burton, who hasn’t been productive in games, and wide receiver Josh Magee, who had a 57-yard touchdown catch-and-run against the Cardinals.
Quinn also wants to look at linebackers Jermaine Grace and J’Terious Jones, of Miller Grove High, to see if they can provide some depth.
“He was a good one,” said Southwest DeKalb High coach Damien Wimes, who coached Jones in high school. “Tough kid. We had to convince him that he was a defensive end verses being a tight end. Great family.
“His uncle (Travis Jones) coaches in the NFL still. He was just a real hard worker and was always really smart academic-wise. That’s why we kind of new that he would develop into that type of player. He picked up stuff real easy and was a really tough kid.”
Jones starred at Miami of Ohio in the Mid-American Conference.
“We take a bunch of kids up to the Ohio State camp every year,” Wimes said. “He ended up getting offers from all of the MAC schools. Appalachian State was the only school from the South. His uncle and his family liked Miami of Ohio because of the academic background.”
The starters were used to get the reserves ready for Jacksonville.
“The ones on offense and defense, we just gave the young guys a look to prepare them for the game,” wide receiver Julio Jones said.
Falcons offensive tackle Austin Pasztor, who will not play against Jacksonville, received some individual work after practice Wednesday, going one-on-one against newly signed defensive end/tackle A.J. Jefferson, who played at Mississippi State.
Free safety Damontae Kazee (ankle), running back Brian Hill (ankle) and defensive end Martin Ifedi (ankle) were declared out of the Jacksonville game because of injury.
“We’re fortunate with the roster that the cut down was extended some,” Quinn said. “We’ve had a bigger pool to play and get more looks at. That will help as we’re making decisions.”
The Falcons are looking for players to develop.
“You have to find some traits that we are really looking for,” Quinn said. “‘I think we have something here, and this is worth developing.’ Some of those are draft picks, and some of those are players who could end up on the practice squad.”
Quinn said he’s looking for effort and intensity from the players on the fringe.
“They don’t have to play the game of their lives on,” Quinn said. “They have to play as good as they can play.”
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