Jordan Williams (Georgia Tech)

Falcons Cull Roster To 53 Players

The Falcons trimmed their roster down to 53 players with the following moves:

Released

Waived

Placed on injured reserve (designated to return)

Placed on reserve/PUP

Placed on reserve/NFI

  • LB Malik Verdon

Released from IR with injury settlement

Fuller, Harrison, and Henderson all have previous starting experience in the secondary, though Harrison has since converted to linebacker and exclusively played special teams last season. Fuller missed half of the 2024 season due to injury, while Henderson, a former top-10 draft pick, spent the year with the Steelers but didn’t appear in a regular-season game.

With right tackle Kaleb McGary landing on season-ending IR, Parker could be a candidate to have a handshake agreement to be signed to the practice squad and remain in the team’s game day plans for the season. He will be crucial tackle depth with Norton sidelined for at least four weeks (and likely more) after ankle surgery

Bryant was a projected Day 3 pick who surprisingly went undrafted. Though he didn’t do enough to make the 53-man roster, the Falcons are hoping that he can clear waivers and return to the practice squad, per FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz.

Though Younghoe Koo is coming off a down year, the Falcons are sticking with the veteran kicker and waived Krieg, a German-born rookie. The Falcons are planning to re-sign him to the practice squad if he clears waivers, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. As an international player, Krieg is eligible to be an extra, 17th player on Atlanta’s practice squad.

Washington is expected to spend his third NFL season on the Falcons’ practice squad, per D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was only elevated once in 2024 and played exclusively special teams in that game.

Graham started 16 games over his first four years in the NFL but saw his snap share drop to a career low in 2024. He’ll be out for a minimum of four games with an undisclosed injury.

Falcons RT Kaleb McGary To Miss ‘Significant Time’

Falcons head coach Raheem Morris announced that starting right tackle Kaleb McGary will miss “significant time” with an injury suffered in Wednesday’s practice.

McGary went down during individual drills and had to be carted off the field. Morris indicated that the six-year veteran will land on injured reserve, though that could come with a return designation if the Falcons believe he can return this season.

The 30-year-old just negotiated a $3.5MM raise earlier this month with a two-year, $15MM extension. With Michael Penix entering his first full season as a starter, McGary may have had some added leverage as the left-handed quarterback’s new blind side protector.

McGary’s injury will stretch an already-injured tackle room even further. Swing tackle Storm Norton is recovering from ankle surgery and former UDFA Tyrone Wheatley Jr. is out for the year. Norton is unlikely to be ready for Week 1, making it unclear who will start at right tackle.

Morris specifically mentioned Elijah Wilkinson as a player who is expected to step up amid the injuries. He’s currently listed as the backup left guard on the Falcons’ unofficial depth chart, but the eight-year veteran moved to left tackle for the team’s second preseason. He also has 20 career starts at right tackle, though the last came in 2021. Brandon Parker is listed as Atlanta’s backup right tackle, but has lined up at left tackle in the preseason. Like Wilkinson, he has plenty of past experience at right tackle as well.

Rookie Jack Nelson could also be a factor after starting both preseason games at right tackle, but the seventh-rounder may not be trusted to protect Penix’s blind side right away. If McGary and/or Norton begin the season on IR, UDFA Jordan Williams could make the roster as extra depth after getting a handful of snaps at right tackle in the preseason.

Falcons Sign 11 UDFAs

After trading back into the first round on Thursday night, the Falcons made only five selections during the draft. That group of rookies has now been supplemented by an 11-man class of undrafted free agents:

Manning is among the players who received a six-figure commitment upon going undrafted. KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson reports he received a $100K base salary guarantee in addition to a $10K signing bonus. Manning spent each of his five years at Oregon, totaling 54 games with the Ducks. He racked up 80 tackles in his career while notching one interception and six pass breakups during each of the past two seasons.

Skinner was also a clear Atlanta target given the financial commitment he received. The Falcons gave him a $15K signing bonus as part of his $150K guarantee package, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. The 6-2, 204-pounder will look to compete for a roster spot by adding size to the team’s WR room.

Nash represents an interesting addition at that position. After starting his college career as a quarterback, he converted to receiver; that move proved to be highly beneficial in 2024 in particular. Nash led the FBS in receiving touchdowns (16) last season while totaling 1,382 yards on 104 receptions. The fact he will turn 26 in July hurt his draft stock, but Nash will look to carry over the momentum of his ’24 production into a roster spot at the NFL level.