Wide receiver Laquon Treadwell, a former first-round draft pick of the Minnesota Vikings and former SEC star at Ole Miss, was among the 27 players released Saturday by the Falcons to make deadline for setting the 53-man roster.
The Falcons started their process Thursday of cutting the roster from 80 players to the 53-man roster and had to 4 p.m. Saturday to make all of their cuts.
The Falcons will start out the 2020 season with 19 new players (35.9 percent), including five new projected starters, from the 53-man roster that closed last season in the Tampa Bay game.
Falcons general manager and coach Dan Quinn were not available to comment about the moves. Now, with the roster completed, they will focus on the 16-member practice squad, which can include six veterans.
Treadwell was the most recognizable name of the cuts, along with promising undrafted rookie wide receiver Chris Rowland and quarterbacks Kurt Benkert and Kyle Lauletta.
The other players cut since Thursday include cornerback Delrick Abrams, defensive lineman Hinwa Allieu, offensive tackle Ka’John Armstrong, safety Jamal Carter, safety Chris Cooper, fullback Mikey Daniel, defensive end Austin Edwards, guard Justin Gooseberry, wide receiver Devin Gray, wide receiver Juwan Green, cornerback Tyler Hall, guard Sean Harlow, cornerback Josh Hawkins, offensive tackle Evin Ksiezarczyk, defensive tackle Sailosi Latu, tight end Khari Lee (injury settlement), wide receiver Jalen McCleskey, tight end Jared Pinkney, running back Craig Reynolds, linebacker Edmond Robinson, linebacker Ray Wilborn and former Georgia Southern and Cairo High standout J. J. Wilcox.
All of this year’s draft picks made the roster, but none of this year’s undrafted college free agents. Several of them are expected to be added to the practice squad.
Treadwell, who was a first-round pick of the Vikings in 2016, signed with the Falcons as a free agent in March.
Treadwell, 24, was drafted 23rd overall by Minnesota in the 2016 draft. He has played in 53 games and made 16 starts for the Vikings, making 65 of 107 targeted catches for 701 yards and two touchdowns.
The Falcons were hoping that he could take over the fourth receiver spot that was vacant after the team did not re-sign Justin Hardy, who averaged nearly 30 targets a season over four years and scored nine touchdowns.
Treadwell had several drops in training camp and didn’t appear to get good separation on his routes.
Wilcox, 29, signed a one-year deal with the Falcons in April 2019 after splitting the 2018 season with the Colts and Jets. He was selected by the Cowboys in the third round of the 2013 draft and also spent a season with the Steelers. He suffered a torn ACL in his right knee on the first day of training camp last season. The Falcons re-signed him Aug. 6.
The was no room for Wilcox as the Falcons elected to keep five safeties in Keanu Neal, Ricardo Allen, Damontae Kazee, Sharrod Neasman and rookie Jaylinn Hawkins.
Rowland, Carter, Edwards and one of the quarterbacks likely are headed to the 16-member practice squad.
Cornerback Jordan Miller, a fifth-round pick out of Washington in 2019, was suspended for four games in December by the NFL for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. His suspension runs through the first three games of the 2020 regular season.
Defensive end Steven Means also remains with the Falcons at this time, but he is on the reserve/COVID-19 list and does count against the 53-man limit.
Here’s a position-by-position look at the Falcons’ 53- man roster.
OFFENSE
QUARTERBACKS (2)
Matt Ryan and Matt Schaub.
RUNNING BACKS (5)
Todd Gurley, Ito Smith, Brian Hill, Qadree Ollison and Keith Smith.
WIDE RECEIVERS (6)
Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley, Russell Gage, Olamide Zaccheaus, Brandon Powell and Christian Blake.
TIGHT ENDS (3)
Hayden Hurst, Luke Stocker and Jaeden Graham.
OFFENSIVE LINE (9)
Alex Mack, Jake Matthews, Kaleb McGary, Chris Lindstrom, Matt Hennessey, James Carpenter, Justin McCray, John Wetzel and Matt Gono.
DEFENSE
DEFENSIVE ENDS (6)
Dante Fowler, Takkarist McKinley, Allen Bailey, Steven Means (COVID-19 list), Charles Harris and Jacob Tuioti-Mariner.
DEFENSIVE TACKLES (5)
Grady Jarrett, Tyeler Davison, Marlon Davidson, John Cominsky and Deadrin Senat.
LINEBACKERS (5)
Deion Jones, Foyesade Oluokun, Mykal Walker, LaRoy Reynolds and Deone Bucannon.
CORNERBACKS (6)
A.J. Terrell, Darqueze Dennard, Isaiah Oliver, Kendall Sheffield, Blidi Wreh-Wilson and Jordan Miller (suspended for three games).
SAFETIES (5)
Ricardo Allen, Keanu Neal, Damontae Kazee, Sharrod Neasman and Jaylinn Hawkins.
SPECIALISTS (3)
Locks: K - Younghoe Koo, P - Sterling Hofrichter, LS - Josh Harris.
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