Falcons place DT Marlon Davidson on reserve/COVID-19 list

As has been the case with several teams this year, the Atlanta Falcons have been impacted by COVID-19. We’ve already witnessed several players such as cornerbacks A.J. Terrell and Jamal Carter placed on the league’s reserve/COVID-19 list, and we now have another one to add. On Tuesday afternoon, the Falcons placed rookie defensive tackle Marlon Davidson on the list with what ESPN’s Vaughn McClure reported was a positive test.

Addtionally, the team announced that they’ve signed practice squad cornerback Tyler Hall to the active roster. To fill his spot, linebacker James Burgess has been signed to the practice squad.

The Falcons have now seen both their 2020 first and second round picks placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list. It comes at an unfortunate time as Davidson has already missed games this year while dealing with a knee injury and has played sparingly when healthy. To this point, he’s recorded four tackles for the Falcons defense, and the Falcons urgently need him out there getting experience because he should be a building block going forward. We hope he gets through this healthy and we get to see him on the field soon.

Hall has returned to the active roster again, where he’s primarily helped on special teams during games. He’s one of the few 2020 undrafted rookies who have suited up for the Falcons, and the team clearly likes him if they’re calling him up to the roster as more than just a Sunday practice squad addition. The next regime may well want a player like Hall, with his upside and special teams value, on the roster heading into 2021.

Burgess started 10 games for the New York Jets in 2019, recording 80 tackles, eight tackles for a loss and two turnovers.