Atlanta makes their first announcement, with more to come between now and Tuesday afternoon.
The Atlanta Falcons were briefly quiet after their final preseason game as they determined who they would be cutting ahead of the Tuesday deadline to be down to a 53 man roster. There are many more cuts to come, but the Falcons have formally announced their first wave of cuts.
There are a few familiar names but no major surprises in this group. A strong final preseason game for Donavan Mutin, for example, did not stave off the axe.
Here’s the full list:
- QB John Paddock
- WR Josh Ali
- TE Austin Stogner
- TE Jordan Thomas
- OL Zack Bailey
- OL Jaryd Jones-Smith
- OL John Leglue
- LB Storey Jackson
- LB Donavan Mutin
- OLB Bradlee Anae
- CB Trey Vaval
- CB William Hooper
- S Lukas Denis
Out of this group, Paddock, Mutin, Anae, and the offensive linemen probably have the best chance of still latching on to a practice squad, though the early nature of these cuts means none of them are anything close to a guarantee to come back. Paddock’s release means Taylor Heinicke is the third quarterback if the Falcons don’t find a trade partner or decide to roll with just two players at the position. Ali and Denis were favorites of the last coaching staff but did not make their mark enough to stick around for this one.
The bigger batch is still to come, of course, and it is notable that not a single defensive lineman was in this initial group. There’s very little clarity at any position group outside of quarterback with these cuts, as is probably obvious.
We’ll see what further cuts are in the offing, with the team likely to announce anywhere from another wave to the full list of cuts by Tuesday morning. We wish the players who just were cut luck as they look for their next teams, and we’ll see if anyone returns.