AJC > Sports > Falcons > Blog > Archives > 2007 > September > 04
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Kicking around roster moves
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Falcons whittled the roster to 53 this weekend then tweaked it some more Monday. There were a few surprises, but not many.
I was somewhat surprised that nose tackle Tommy Jackson and running back Jason Snelling got released - especially Snelling, who showed some toughness and good speed between the tackles. I’m sure some folks were mildly surprised that Darrell Shropshire and Jordan Beck got cut as well.
I think both will be back in the league soon. Beck’s not a bad player but he just wasn’t the right fit for the system. Teams are always in need of defensive tackles and Shropshire will probably catch on soon.
The most interesting developments came with the decisions in the kicking game.
Atlanta is resting its kicking hopes on first-timer Matt Prater, who failed to catch on in Detroit, Minnesota and Miami. It’s also hoping that Adam Jennings can fill in for Allen Rossum, which is a pretty tall order.
Prater, who was signed a day before the preseason finale, got the job over Billy Cundiff because he has a much stronger leg and can kick off. The Falcons saw a decline in Michael Koenen’s punting yardage once he started kicking off in preseason and wanted him to focus more on punting.
The decision to go with the big leg over experience goes to show the importance special teams coordinator Jerry Rosburg places on field position. At some point, though, Prater is going to be put in position to win a game with a field goal and it won’t be his leg, but his mental makeup, that is put to the test.
As for Jennings, he has the toughness and speed to make big plays in the return game. He was 7th in the nation his senior season at Fresno State. He just hasn’t been in the primary return role since. He’s a really tough player who seemingly has the mental composition to handle the role.
Jennings emerged over Allen Rossum, who was traded to Pittsburgh Saturday, because the coaching staff thinks he’s up to the task but also because he plays on most special teams and can play wide receiver.
Rossum had been relegated solely to return status after being demoted behind rookie cornerbacks David Irons and Chris Houston.
