The Atlanta Falcons started training camp Monday (July 22) to get a head start on their earlier-than-usual preseason bout. The team will face the Denver Broncos in the Hall of Fame exhibition game on Thursday, August 1. With that known, players are competing for roster spots sooner than expected. Some will make it; some won't. Here are three that may fall into the latter category.
3. Duke Riley – LB
A third-round selection out of LSU in 2017, linebacker Duke Riley has started on each of the last two seasons' opening-day rosters but has finished each with disappointment. He culminated his rookie year with 24 total tackles, was benched midway through that same season, and tore a meniscus. Throughout his first campaign, he struggled and missed his fair share of tackles.
As a sophomore in 2018, Riley once again got the starting job, then lost it to Foyesade Oluokun, a sixth-round pick in the same year out of Yale. His second season generated an uptick in box-score stats: He compiled 60 total tackles and two pass deflections, but he finished with a putrid 44.2 Pro Football Focus grade, which can be credited to inadequate coverage and tackling (again).
For some, releasing Riley may be premature, but he is no longer a starter. Oluokun, D'Vondre Campbell, and Deion Jones lead the unit. Jermaine Grace returns as a solid free-agent pickup, as does Bruce Carter. The composition of the five-man group makes it hard to see where Riley fits.
2. John Wetzel – RT
In both the draft and free agency, the Falcons upgraded their offensive line in a big way. Chris Lindstrom and Kaleb McGary became first-round Atlanta picks, while Jamon Brown and James Carpenter were signed to substantial deals. The bevy of additions comes on the heels of a 2018 season when the Falcons' offensive line struggled mightily.
For many, the addition of four new offensive linemen (and more) to join a few established veterans means multiple linemen will be out of a job. John Wetzel, formerly of the Arizona Cardinals, may be in that bunch. Though he was an under-the-radar free agency signing, the Falcons gave Wetzel an unguaranteed contract before their rookie linemen came aboard.
Considering the depth now on the roster, Wetzel — a career backup — shouldn't be spending his new contract money quickly. Factoring in the fact that he struggled in 2018 with the Cardinals (55.0 PFF grade two sacks allowed), that statement may hold.
1. Eric Saubert or Jaeden Graham – TE
Pro Bowler Austin Hooper is the starter at tight end, and new face Luke Stocker should be his running mate. Behind the two is a group defined by a lack of guarantees. Among Eric Saubert, Jaeden Graham, Alex Gray, and Logan Paulsen, there is a battle ensuing for the third spot. Realistically, any could be in jeopardy of losing a spot on the Falcons.
However, factoring in the point that Alex Gray's spot on the roster can go to the practice squad without sacrificing depth (NFL International Pathway Program), and when also considering Logan Paulsen's productiveness in 2018, both Saubert and Graham may get the boot. Saubert, a fifth-round pick in 2017, has put up marginal production in Atlanta (five receptions for 48 yards). As for Graham, the Yale product hasn't yet recorded an NFL catch.
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