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I had wondered how the Falcons were going to get down to 75 players, and they've answered that question today.
The deadline was tomorrow for trimming the roster down to the maximum of 75, but this team has never been fond of waiting. Today, according to the mothership, they placed Corey Peters on the PUP list and released John Parker Wilson.
Obviously, losing Peters for the first six weeks of the season is a major blow to this football team. Peters was one of the best defensive tackles on the team and an anchor in the middle against the ground game, and without him, the Falcons are going to struggle a bit more than they would have otherwise.
The key here? Getting Peters healthy as soon as possible, of course, but also Peria Jerry playing well. If he can step up at last, if Jon Babineaux is his usual effective self and Vance Walker and Travian Robertson can chip in as part of the rotation, the Falcons will survive the first six weeks. Make no mistake, though, this hurts the defense.
Join me in wishing Peters a swift recovery and the rest of the defensive tackles an astonishing start to the season.
In brighter news for many Falcons fans, John Parker Wilson has been released.
I don't wish JPW ill, of course. He seems like a genuinely nice guy, and I never root against someone getting a job elsewhere. But it's been clear for quite some time that not only was he not the answer at backup quarterback, but that he wasn't really good enough to even stick around as the third option. He just didn't have the game to make it in the NFL, and I'm relieved that the Falcons have upgraded.
This all but assures that Dominique Davis will be, at minimum, a practice squad quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons come the start of the season. He may be able to actually challenge Chris Redman or stick as the third quarterback because the Falcons will fear losing him, but either way, the team finally has a young quarterback worth grooming behind Matt Ryan.That's worth celebrating.
Your reaction to Peters and JPW?