Ah, late August. The time of year when the weather starts to cool, the leaves turn colors and a handful of players find the roster bubble popped underneath them.
It’s an unfortunate business, but it has to happen. Every team in the NFL had to cut down to 80 man rosters by 4 p.m. yesterday, and the Falcons were no exception. That meant six undrafted free agents from 2011 and earlier got the infamous axe. In all, the Falcons let go of six players yesterday, one with an injury settlement and the other five After the jump, find a few quick thoughts on each player who got the axe.
RB Philip Sylvester: Lightning fast, but a costly fumble…well, it cost him. He also struggled to stand out in practices and in game action in general, and the Falcons have three backs locked onto the roster and two more established guys fighting for a possible fourth spot. LB LaMarcus Thompson: A player with decent size and speed, Thompson simply struggled to stand out at one of the most crowded positions on the roster. When you consider that Robert James, Spencer Adkins and Akeem Dent are all fighting for spots, there was no way Thompson was going to make it. WR Doug Beaumont: Flashes during practice, but Beaumont was simply too raw a wide receiver to make an impact at yet another deep, young position on the Falcons’ roster. He’ll hope the Falcons saw enough to keep him on the practice squad. WR Tim Buckley: A talented special teamer, Buckley just doesn’t offer enough as a wide receiver to stick around when Eric Weems is in town. He’s been a practice squad dude in the past and may not be done in Atlanta, but I’m not sure he offers more than Beaumont, Brandyn Harvey, etc. The Falcons let him go with an injury settlement, so he may not be gone. LB Youri Yenga: A fan favorite for his name alone, Yenga was another guy who practiced well but failed to distinguish himself in pre-season game action. With Bear Woods ahead of him on the pecking order, Yenga is probably headed elsewhere. CB Kirk Belgrave: I was a Belgrave fan early on because of his size and potential, but he just was outclassed by Darrin Walls and Kamaal McIlwain. He'll try to ply his trade elsewhere, and a corner-needy team could probably carry him on their practice squad. There’s more cuts in the week ahead, so don’t get too comfortable. You know those guys on the roster fringe won’t be.
He’s an intriguing prospect because of his speed, so he might get a look on the practice squad. I wouldn’t count on it, though.