If you heard the unmistakable sound of a man being forcefully parted from his roster spot on Sunday, then pour out a little Falcohol. Three good men will not be making the team after this weekend.
The mighty Russian axe of one Comrade Thomas Dimitroff and Mike Smith(roff) fell on Jason Jefferson, Tywain Myles and Robert Shiver. While Shiver, a long snapper, was almost guaranteed to lose his spot sometime this off-season and Tywain Myles hadn't registered as more than a blip with an awesome name, Jefferson is still a surprise. I really thought he was movin' on up after some time in the season and a solid enough pre-season, but a quick look at the new unofficial depth chart leaves us with five defensive tackles, with Peria Jerry and Jonathan Babineaux starting, Trey Lewsi and Thomas Johnson backing up, Vance Walker third string and a couple of guys who could probably play DT in a pinch.
Personally, I'd be pretty happy with that. The team may have cut Jefferson because he was clearly not in that top five, but it's still surprising to see it done so soon. After all, the Falcons have until Saturday to trim the roster down to 53 in a bloody frenzy of a purge, so color me surprised a little. Jefferson's solid enough that he'll catch on elsewhere, I'm sure, and this is a team that clearly knows what it's doing. To recap: Dave the Falconer is surprised by timing, but no the decision. I'm sure you're all glad you know that now.
Use this post as a discussion about likely (or even certain) future cuts. Without picking names at this point, I can't see the Falcons carrying as many corners or defensive backs as those listed on the current depth chart, and they definitely won't be carrying that many receivers. I'm sure you can think of many more positions where the sickle of communism will fall.