Falcons cuts: D.J. Shockley, Thomas Brown, 11 others
There were few surprises as the Falcons released 13 players to trim their roster to 53 players Saturday.
“Any time that you are releasing players, it takes a lot of time and effort and a lot of concentration,” Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff said. “We had a number of really important and tough battles at different positions. This was a pretty complicated year as far as our final decisions.”
Some of the key cuts included quarterback D.J. Shockley, running back Thomas Brown, wide receiver Robert Ferguson and linebacker Jamie Winborn.
Shockley and Brown played at Georgia. Ferguson and Winborn were veterans added to compete for spots.
Four other players with local ties were cut: wide receiver Aaron Kelly of Walton High, cornerback William Middleton of Marist, defensive tackle Vance Walker of Georgia Tech and tight end Jason Rader, who played briefly at Georgia before transferring to Marshall.
Others cut: wide receiver Troy Bergeron, offensive lineman Michael Butterworth, linebacker Robert James, defensive end Maurice Lucas and offensive guard Jose Valdez.
Middleton and Walker were chosen in the 2009 draft — Middleton in the fifth round and Walker in the seventh.
The Falcons made four additional moves after the initial roster cut last season. They picked up veterans Tony Gilbert, Jamaal Fudge and Justin Peelle and made a trade for Domonique Foxworth.
“I’m not really sure at this point,” said Dimitroff, when asked if the roster was set. “We are always looking to upgrade our roster. We are here late tonight, culling the rosters that are coming in. Actually, our entire pro department and some of our college scouts are evaluating players that are coming available. We’ll make some decision and confer with [coach] Mike Smith over the next day or two and discuss the possibilities.”
Shockley was beaten out for the No. 3 quarterback position by rookie John Parker Wilson, who was signed as an undrafted free agent.
“That was a very difficult decision,” Dimitroff said. “D.J. Shockley was a very important part of this organization last year. The way that he carries himself and how professional that he is, as well as his leadership ability; he really helped us evolve as an offense last year.
“This year, simply stated, John Parker showed that he had the ability to play quarterback. To us that was a decision that was made in our best interest going forward.”
Several of the released players are likely to show up on the Falcons’ practice squad. They can sign an eight-player squad starting today.
“We have discussed a lot of the practice-squad possibilities. We have to confirm everything [Sunday] afternoon. We think that we are going to come up with a good group of eight.”
About the Author
Honored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his "long and distinguished reporting in the field of pro football," D. Orlando Ledbetter, Esq. has covered the NFL 28 seasons. A graduate of Howard University, he's a winner of Georgia Sportswriter of the Year and three Associated Press Sports Editor awards.
