Falcons promote K Elliott Fry, S Jamal Carter, and CB Delrick Abrams Jr. to the active roster

We knew the Falcons were banged up heading into Monday night’s matchup with the Packers. Kicker Younghoe Koo and two starting safeties—Keanu Neal and Ricardo Allen—were declared out on Saturday after failing to practice, alongside EDGE Takkarist McKinley. That left Atlanta in a precarious position in the kicking game and with their depth in the secondary.

To address these health issues, the Falcons have elected to elevate several players from the practice squad to the active roster under the NFL’s new gameday rules.

Atlanta promoted K Elliott Fry, S Jamal Carter, and CB Delrick Abrams Jr. to the active roster for Monday Night Football, adding depth in a few key areas to overcome the losses of Koo, Allen, Neal, and CB A.J. Terrell—who remains on the COVID-19 reserve list.

Fry was signed earlier in the week due to concerns with Koo’s health, and the former South Carolina kicker will make his NFL regular season debut in Week 4. He previously spent time with the Bears, Ravens, Panthers, and Buccaneers before coming to Atlanta.

Carter spent the 2019 season with the Falcons, initially joining the practice squad after training camp. He was then elevated to the active roster and appeared in 11 games for Atlanta last season, logging 10 total tackles and 1 PD. Carter is a versatile player who has spent time at both safety and LB, and will provide additional depth in the secondary.

Abrams Jr. was a UDFA signed by the Falcons after the 2020 NFL Draft. He spent training camp with the team and wound up making the practice squad to start the season. Abrams was elevated to the active roster prior to Week 3’s loss to the Bears, where he logged his first NFL snaps but didn’t record any statistics.

We’ll hope these players can perform well in their roles against the Packers, as the Falcons desperately need a win to avoid the death knell of an 0-4 start. Elliott Fry, in particular, faces a major test in his first real NFL action.