Signing you in

LinkThe Atlanta Falcons initial 53-man roster has been released, and there’s plenty to glean. The team made surprising cuts, boasts some unusual position total counts, and has given fans some hope about injury progress. Here are the most interesting storylines from the initial 53-man roster.

It was confirmed that Jack Strand would make the initial 53-man roster before the Falcons officially announced the roster, leading many to believe that Cooper Rush (or Tua Tagovailoa) would be getting cut from the room. However, Atlanta’s new regime went a different direction and elected to keep every quarterback in the room.

A player like Tyler Goodson not making the roster doesn’t feel right. Not only did he make an argument for reps on offense; more importantly, he showed the ability to be an impact player on special teams. He seems like a practice squad priority, but his performance was good enough that he might get offers elsewhere. As a vested veteran, he gets to skip waivers and is essentially a free agent. Carlos Allen Jr., a UDFA and fan preseason favorite, was also cut but is likely to clear waivers and land back on the team’s practice squad.

Edge Azeez Ojulari was a well-received offseason signing with an anticipated big role with Jalen Walker’s season-ending injury and James Pearce Jr’s suspension. Still, he could not make the initial cut. Bralen Trice, who plays the same position as Ojulari and was returning from back-to-back ACL tears, was also unable to make the initial roster in his first healthy summer. The team’s edge room is in a tight spot right now, and while the interior pass rush looks promising, there’s real worry about how this team will generate off the edge without sending the house.

Wanya Morris was acquired via a trade in which the Falcons essentially swapped a 6th for a 7th-round pick. It was expected he would secure the swing tackle job, but after suffering an injury early in camp, he never seemed to bounce back and was taking snaps deep into the second half of preseason games.

The first official roster move of the day was the team’s trade for Gervon Dexter. The interior adds another massive body with pass rush upside, but Dexter can be exposed in the run. He’s like a slightly more polished Ruke Orhorhoro.

Billy Bowman was never in danger of being cut, but being added to the initial 53 seems like a strong indicator that his recovery is going well and he may be back sooner than expected. There’s still a chance he gets put on short term-IR, but this is a promising development. This also goes for Da’Shawn Hand, whose injury status had many wondering if he’d start the season on injured reserve.

Malcolm DeWalt IV appears to be a gem from this year’s UDFA class. The defensive back was the best-performing special teamer this summer and could be on his way to being an ace in this league.

It’s called the “initial” 53-man roster for a reason. This won’t be the same roster that takes on the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1. The team will have to trim down and reorganize a few rooms before they get things just right.

This initial cut is about prioritizing must-haves and players you fear will be picked up off waivers. While I don’t agree with prioritizing players like JD Bertrand or Cooper Rush, I know the team will still make cuts and additions to the roster.

What on the initial 53-man roster sticks out the most to you?

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