What would be the biggest surprise cut for the Falcons?

When we’re talking about roster construction and the summer that leads up to the Falcons finalizing their 53 man roster, surprise cuts are usually a popular topic.

That’s true this year, even though there’s much less intrigue than usual owing to the strength of the team and how settled the starters appear. Besides right guard, tight end, and weakside linebacker, it’s possible the Falcons will roll out the same starting lineup they were supposed to have all of last season, pre-Derrick Shelby injuries.

But will there be any surprises? I have two candidates, both of which would be legitimately surprising to me, and both of which seem unlikely in the extreme. You’re going to hear me repeat that.

1. The Falcons cut ties with Brooks Reed. The team’s rotation along the defensive front looks deep and pretty good, especially with Takkarist McKinley in the fold, and Reed is one of the more expensive defenders up front. If the Falcons have a reason to free up cash this year, I suppose it could happen, but Reed is still a valuable player even if he’s not always going to find his way to a ton of playing time.
2. The Falcons cut ties with Andre Roberts. If you sense that I’m stretching for a surprise here, I kind of am. Roberts figures to be the team’s returner, the Falcons gave him a solid amount of money, and he’s still a fairly reliable receiving option. If Devin Fuller really comes on and the Falcons aren’t going to keep a bunch of receivers around, though, you might see this happen.

Like I said, I don’t think this is a year where the Falcons will throw us a ton of surprises. Their roster is very good, they’ll want to keep the band together for (hopefully) a deep playoff run, and they can’t afford to shed any truly valuable players if they want to maintain the status quo.

I’m sure you’ve got a pet theory, though, so share it with us now.