Now with the exhibition season out of the way, the Falcons can turn their attention to the 53-man roster.
The Falcons got a headstart on trimming their roster Wednesday when they waived wide receiver Reginald Davis III, offensive tackle Wil Freeman, and safeties Jordan Moore and Deron Washington. The Falcons also reached an injury settlement with offensive tackle Kevin Graf.
After losing to Jacksonville 13-7 on Thursday, the Falcons must cut down to 53 players by 4 p.m. Saturday.
The Falcons have an international exemption for former European rugby star Alex Gray and appear set to place cornerback Jalen Collins on the NFL’s suspended list. So, they have 35 players to cut.
Here are five players who helped themselves with strong showings against the Jaguars:
Blidi Wren-Wilson, cornerback. He made a spectacular interception in the end zone when he tipped the ball to himself. He's in a battle for one of the key backup cornerback spots behind Desmond Trufant, Robert Alford and Brian Poole.
Marvin Hall, wide receiver. The speedy wide receiver flashed again with a 65-yard reception.
Jermaine Grace, linebacker. He ran the route better than Jacksonville tight end Alex Ellis and came up with a big interception. "We were excited to see Grace," Falcons coach Dan Quinn said. "We certainly have some tough decisions at that (linebacker) spot." He had eight tackles on defense and one tackle on special teams.
Sharrod Neasman, safety. He came up with an interception after defensive end Chris Odom tipped a pass in the air. He had six tackles and a pass defensed.
Chris Odom, defensive end. He had one sack and was was close on a couple other of his pass rushes. He tipped pass that created an interception. Odom finished second on the team with eight tackles. "From just playing the game, you pick up different reads," Odom said. "I saw his set and he really didn't drop back. I expected a quick pass. I saw his eyes looking in my direction, so I tried to put myself in a better position to tip the ball."
