Five position battles to watch as Falcons face Dolphins in preseason finale
MIAMI — Entering the final week of training camp and only a few days before the preseason finale, Falcons special teams coordinator Craig Aukerman gathered his group and issued a reminder: Every day is a job interview, be it for the Falcons or the rest of the NFL.
“Whether it’s out on the practice field, whether it’s joint practices, whether it’s in the preseason games, every rep is going to be so important for them,” Aukerman said Tuesday, “because we’re all looking and 31 other teams are looking at it, too.”
The Falcons have reached the final day of an offseason worth of evaluations. There have been 30 practices — 10 in OTAs, two in mandatory minicamp and 18 in training camp — along with two preseason games. They close the exhibition slate at 7 p.m. Friday against the Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium.
And after Friday night, there are no more practices or games to separate the Falcons from one of the most ruthless days on the NFL calendar: roster cutdowns.
By 6 p.m. Sunday, teams must trim their active rosters from 90 players to 53. Some will have their football dreams dashed, while others will realize theirs.
The Falcons have hard decisions to make at several positions. Several players enter Friday night with the chance to dictate their fate. Here’s a look at five position battles worth monitoring when the Falcons and Dolphins kick off in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Quarterback
The Falcons, of course, have a question mark surrounding their Week 1 starter under center. Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. have justifiably dominated headlines, but there’s a similarly compelling battle to determine who, if anyone, fills the third spot on the active roster.
Veteran signal-caller Cooper Rush has taken more team snaps over the past three weeks in practice than undrafted rookie Jack Strand, but the latter is coming off a 12-for-17 passing performance against the Colts, when he threw for 212 yards and scored a pair of touchdowns.
If practice snaps and order of preseason playing time carry any weight, Rush has a clear edge over Strand. Both will play Friday night, providing Rush and Strand the opportunity to make one final statement.
But the Falcons must first decide whether they want to keep three quarterbacks, and coach Kevin Stefanski said “everything” — health of Tagovailoa and Penix included — factors into the final outcome.
“I’ve been a part of different makeups of the roster in that regard,” Stefanski said during camp. “But I think you have to take everything into account and look at where your roster is. Can you afford the luxury of keeping those guys? Sometimes you can; sometimes you can’t.”
Wide receiver
Stefanski leaned toward carrying six receivers in his tenure with the Browns, but the Falcons may end up settling for five.
If they do, Chris Blair has been the most consistent playmaker in the ground behind Drake London, Jahan Dotson, Olamide Zaccheaus and Zachariah Branch.
But if the Falcons lean toward six, their decision likely comes down to Dylan Drummond and undrafted rookie Vinny Anthony II.
Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees included Drummond in his assessment of the team’s receiving corps — along with London, Dotson, Zaccheaus, Branch and Blair — and the 26-year-old appears to have the inside track. Drummond can play both in the slot and on the perimeter while adding value as a punt returner.
Anthony is intriguing, too. He’s been productive in training camp practices, used similarly to Branch with a heavy dose of screen passes and quick-hit targets. A strong preseason performance Friday night will give the Falcons plenty to think about.
Offensive line
The starting offensive line is set, with left tackle Jake Matthews; left guard Matthew Bergeron; center Ryan Neuzil; right guard Chris Lindstrom; and right tackle Jawaan Taylor.
As for the rest? Call it partially complete.
Michael Jerrell, who took first-team reps at left and right tackle during training camp in injury-replacement scenarios, appears the favorite to be the Falcons’ swing tackle, an ever-important piece to an offensive line.
Jerrell has been ahead of Wanya Morris, acquired in a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs in June, the entirety of training camp. Morris missed over a week with a toe injury and needed a ramp-up period, which puts his roster hopes in jeopardy.
The interior offensive line is in a shaky place, too.
Kyle Hinton, who’s been a steady presence as a backup guard for the past three seasons, sported a brace on his right leg this week after leaving the team’s second NFL exhibition game with a lower-body injury. If Hinton isn’t healthy for Week 1, the Falcons will likely lean on practice-squad candidates Andrew Stueber and Kam Dewberry.
Seventh-round rookie Ethan Onianwa, who was a cut candidate entering training camp, is certainly trending favorably. He’s made impressive progress over the past month, and his ability to play guard and tackle aids his candidacy.
There’s also a numbers question here. Do the Falcons carry nine or 10 offensive linemen? Morris is likely the deciding vote. Jerrell, Onianwa, Hinton (if healthy) and center Corey Levin appear in good shape.
Inside linebacker
The first four — Divine Deablo, Kendal Daniels, Harold Perkins Jr. and Christian Harris — are set. The fifth spot isn’t.
J.D. Bertrand, who’s played in 27 games with two starts the past two seasons, has largely worked with the second- and third-team defense this summer. Channing Tindall, a special teams piece the past four years with the Dolphins, has been buried on the depth chart.
The favorite above Bertrand and Tindall is Josh Woods, who the Falcons signed July 30. Woods made four tackles on special teams against the Colts, a performance that earned praise from Aukerman and significantly helps his case.
Job requirements for a backup linebacker heavily include special teams influence. Woods checks that box. It’s likely his role to lose.
“He’s been doing a really good job,” Aukerman said.
Cornerback
Speaking of special teams, the Falcons have a Mike Ford Jr. question to answer: How much weight does his special teams background carry?
“He’s been, obviously, very good the past couple of years,” Aukerman said.
Ford played in 17 games for the Falcons last season and was on the field for 82% of the team’s special teams snaps. The caveat? He didn’t play a single defensive snap.
If the Falcons feel they can go lighter elsewhere and heavier at corner, Ford will make the roster. But if they don’t feel they have the luxury, he may end up in an interesting cut-day conversation.
The Falcons may carry six corners, but even that requires difficult cuts. Cobee Bryant has largely worked with the third-string defense this summer, but he’s been made plays and is a valued locker room presence. Natrone Brooks has cross-trained at corner and safety.
Do the Falcons carry both Clark Phillips III and C.J. Henderson, their two second-string outside corners? What about Malcolm DeWalt, an undrafted rookie from Akron who’s flashed on defense and special teams?
Cornerback is the Falcons’ deepest position, which subsequently makes it the hardest to project — and perhaps the most challenging to trim.