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Falcons training camp is 8 days away. Here are 8 undrafted free agents to watch

There’s more than eight UDFAs worth keeping an eye on, but these eight have a good shot of landing a practice squad spot or even a roster spot.

By Dave Choate
SEC Championship - Alabama v Florida Photo by Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images

We are just eight days away from training camp, and it’s time to talk about this year’s crop of undrafted free agents. A fine crop, it is.

These are eight players it’s worth keeping an eye on, in our humble opinions.

  1. WR David Glidden. He’s short and would likely be limited to a slot role in the NFL, but Glidden has impressed Matt Ryan early and has real speed and quality hands. He could sneak onto the back end of an unsettled receiving corps.
  2. G Shahbaz Ahmad. The Falcons are throwing guards at the wall to see what will stick, and Ahmad was a quality college player who has as good of a shot at a backup role as anyone at the moment. Training camp is where he’ll have the opportunity to separate himself from the pack a little, so keep an eye on him.
  3. DT Chris Mayes. He’s from Georgia, which is enough of a reason for many of you to watch him avidly, but Mayes is also a strong, capable nose tackle on a team without a ton of options there. He could sneak onto the roster past Joey Mbu with a strong summer.
  4. LB/DE Ivan McLennan. Out of everyone on this list, I think McLennan has the best shot at a roster spot. The back end of both linebacker and defensive end are unsettled, McLennan impressed in college and has already flashed in minicamp, and the coaching staff seems to like him already.
  5. S Sharrod Neasman. A productive, versatile defensive back, Neasman could hang on as a fifth or sixth cornerback and fourth or fifth safety if he shows well this summer
  6. CB Brian Poole. He ran with Keanu Neal in college and is a hard-nosed, talented player with good instincts. Again, the Falcons don’t have a clear fifth cornerback, so he’s a legitimate option.
  7. C Jake Reed. The Falcons haven’t settled on James Stone or Mike Person as the backup center, which means Reed may have a shot. Given how unsettled the interior of the offensive line is, very little should surprise you.
  8. K Nick Rose. You’re going to have to be pretty great to steal the job away from Matt Bryant, but Bryant is coming off an injury-marred campaign, so I suppose it’s possible. Rose will have to be more accurate than he was in college.

There are other good options here, so feel free to highlight any you feel I’ve missed.

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