The Atlanta Falcons have officially trimmed their roster down from 90 to their official initial 53-man roster. During that process, the Falcons had to make some very difficult decisions, including ultimately making some cuts that could be deemed surprising given their performance this offseason.
Here are just a few of the cuts that could be surprising given the state of the roster.
CB Kevin King
In the final preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Falcons were trying out defensive back Kevin King not only at cornerback but also at safety. It was thought that it meant that they wanted to see how King would fare in a more versatile role for when he did make the roster. Instead, it seems Atlanta was trying to find a way to salvage the eight-year veteran.
In the preseason opener, King flew onto the scene as one of the few bright spots from a sloppy showing from the Falcons. His interception and forced fumble showed a nose for making plays on the ball, enough to where it seemed that he earned a spot on the back end of the roster.
Atlanta only kept five corners on roster, including former Arizona Cardinals cornerback Antonio Hamilton, Sr., which made it tricky for King to find a way on the roster.
CB Natrone Brooks
Another defensive back that couldn't find their way on the roster due to the lack of spots in the secondary was cornerback Natrone Brooks. In the second preseason game, where the Falcons were essentially outmatched in every way against the Baltimore Ravens, there was only one bright spot: Brooks.
His 13 tackles and forced fumble made him the unquestioned player of that game, and he was definitely more active than anyone else on the field.
TE John FitzPatrick
The first two tight end spots were spoken for with Kyle Pitts and Charlie Woerner. The third spot was wide open with it coming down to Ross Dwelley and former sixth-round pick John FitzPatrick. Throughout the summer, FitzPatrick consistently showed up as one of the worst practice players, so this was a surprise, but not as much as it should have been, especially given his talent.
FitzPatrick is an instant Special Teams contributor with his ability to block, but Dwelley gives the team much more in terms of offensive production. FitzPatrick showed inconsistent hands both throughout the training camp practices and the preseason games, inevitably pushing him to the practice squad, if not off the roster.
