Falcons 53 man roster projection and bubble watch for Week 2 of preseason

I'm trying to get better about updating my roster projections a little more regularly while not overreacting to one week of practices and games. Good luck to me.

There aren't a ton of changes to this roster from my pre-training camp projection, to be honest with you. I have Renfree overtaking Yates, Jake Rodgers fighting his way past a still-injured Lamar Holmes at tackle, and the thoroughly impressive Kevin White battling his way onto the roster at the expense of Dezmen Southward. Beyond that, I address some players who are clearly on the bubble, and need big games the next couple of weeks to win spots.

Follow along with me.

QB Matt Ryan
QB Sean Renfree

FB Patrick DiMarco

RB Tevin Coleman
RB Devonta Freeman
RB Antone Smith

WR Julio Jones
WR Leonard Hankerson
WR Roddy White
WR Justin Hardy
WR Devin Hester
WR Eric Weems

TE Jacob Tamme
TE Tony Moeaki
TE Levine Toilolo

OT Jake Matthews
OT Ryan Schraeder
OT Tyler Polumbus
OT Jake Rodgers

OG James Stone
OG Chris Chester
OG Jon Asamoah

OC Joe Hawley
OC/OG Mike Person

DE Tyson Jackson
DE Adrian Clayborn
DE Malliciah Goodman
DE Kroy Biermann
DE Stansly Maponga

DT Ra'Shede Hageman
DT Paul Soliai
DT Jonathan Babineaux
DT Grady Jarrett

OLB Brooks Reed
OLB Justin Durant
OLB Vic Beasley Jr.
OLB O'Brien Schofield

MLB Paul Worrilow
MLB Allen Bradford
MLB Nate Stupar
LB Marquis Spruill

CB Desmond Trufant
CB Jalen Collins
CB Robert Alford
CB Phillip Adams
CB Kevin White

FS Ricardo Allen
FS Charles Godfrey

SS William Moore
SS Kemal Ishmael

K Matt Bryant
P Matt Bosher
LS Josh Harris

Falcons Roster Bubble Watch

• Dezmen Southward. Kevin White has been one of the most impressive rookie cornerbacks working in the NFL, which means he could be snapped up if he hits the practice squad. The team has Trufant, Alford, Adams and Collins as locks to make the roster, which means unless they're willing to carry six cornerbacks, Southward could very well be the odd man out right now. He's got to impress immediately if he wants to be assured a spot.
• Lamar Holmes. It's not clear he's coming back to a spot. Jake Rodgers looked good in limited action, albeit against backups, and has practiced well. If Holmes can't get back on the field and earn a spot, it's possible the seventh rounder simply overtakes him.
• Tyler Starr. I'm trying not to overreact to Starr's impressive performance and presence on special teams, but he's made huge strides from a year ago. If the team isn't willing to chance stashing him again, or they believe he's outplayed Bradford and Spruill, he could very well stick around.
• Stansly Maponga. Speaking of Maponga, he showed flashes of pass rushing excellence against the backups last Friday, and I'm very bullish on his chances of making the team. He'll probably need to show a bit more special teams value and consistent production over the next two games to be assured anything, but he's a good fit for this defense.
• Marquis Spruill. I still believe his special teams value and athletic ability will help him stick around, but Starr got the longer look this past week, and Spruill will need to get snaps and show something coming off a major injury to avoid the practice squad. That may be where he'll end up, though.
• Allen Bradford. One of the more impressive linebackers in camp, Bradford was hand-selected by Dan Quinn as one of the team's earliest signings, and he's the odds-on favorite to be the last linebacker on the roster this year. Starr, Maponga, and Spruill are all lurking, and as you can tell, the linebacking corps is a little crowded with young players this year.
• Terron Ward/Jerome Smith. The Falcons may elect to carry four backs with Tevin Coleman, Devonta Freeman, and Antone Smith all experiencing hamstring issues this season. If they do, it'll be between Ward and Smith, and there's little question the powerful Smith was the more impressive player in his chances against the Titans. Look for this one to go down to the wire, with a roster spot or practice squad landing pad going to the victor.