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Falcons roster bubble watch: Four players on the edge after Week 1 of preseason

These five players need to have quality preseason the rest of the way to hang on.

NFL: Atlanta Falcons at Miami Dolphins Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

No matter how much we may wish the Falcons could keep all the guys in their 90 man roster, they’ll eventually need to trim their roster by 37 men. That’s a tough call every year, and there are borderline candidates every time out.

Here’s five players who are firmly on the bubble, by which I mean they’re in danger of being cut between now and that final cutdown. They are not, however, locks to be gone.

WR Marvin Hall

Just yesterday, I suggested that Marvin Hall was the most impressive wide receiver battling for a spot, thanks to his work on both special teams and as a receiver. It’s also true that he fumbled on a return, and nothing endangers a rookie quite as much as a fumble. Hall could truly go either way and it wouldn’t surprise me, though I’m rooting for him.

T Will Freeman

Freeman’s in a rough spot because DJ Tialavea looked solid in his first game as a tackle, Daniel Brunskill had fine moments, and Andreas Knappe had his moments in his limited snaps. It’s a wide-open competition at the position, but at the moment, Freeman’s the one who probably has the most work to do in order to stick.

DT Joe Vellano

Vellano had a nice game, has the former Patriot pedigree, and is part of a defensive tackle depth chart that isn’t exactly stacked once you get past the starters, so he has a shot to hang on. He’s also 28 years old and the Falcons have a lot of inside-outside players along the defensive line, so Vellano’s firmly on the bubble.

CB Blidi Wreh-Wilson

On one hand, C.J. Goodwin and Deji Olatoye didn’t stand out Thursday night, Jalen Collins is suspended, and Wreh-Wilson is one of the most veteran players on the entire cornerback depth chart. On the other hand, he’s had a distinctly up-and-down career and couldn’t beat out Goodwin and Olatoye a year ago. Like everyone else on this list, he’s in a situation where he could make the team, but the odds are against them.