Falcons top-pick Neal to miss exhibition opener
Falcons rookie strong safety Keanu Neal (trunk), running back Terron Ward (ankle) and tight end Levine Toilolo (hand), recently signed running back Cyrus Gray and legendary pass rusher Dwight Freeney will not play in the exhibition opener against the Washington Redskins at the Georgia Dome.
Gray and Freeney’s playing status are not injury related.
Washington coach Jay Gruden has declared tight end Jordan Reed (right thumb), wide receivers Jamison Crowder (hamstring) and Randy Diggs (knee) out for the game.
Gruden will make game-time decisions on linebacker Preston Smith (Stephenson High/shoulder) and left tackle Trent Williams (knee).
Smith, who played at Mississippi State, led the rookie class with eight sacks last season after being taken in the second round.
Neal, the team’s first-round pick and 17th overall player taken in the draft, has missed the past two open practices.
Neal, who suffered what Falcons coach Dan Quinn called a “trunk” injury, was limited in practice. He worked mostly with the training staff on Tuesday.
Quinn said the injuries were not serious.
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.
