Falcons are 8th in waiver order after roster cuts

Terry Fontenot made final cuts on Tuesday to get the Atlanta Falcons to 53 players. Players are excited to have made the “final” roster, but each year there is guaranteed to be some roster churning before kicking off in Week 1. The bottom of the roster is of course most susceptible to the churn, with Fontenot on the lookout for roster improvements.

The good news for the Falcons is it remains in a competitive spot to pick up recent cuts. Most players will be subject to waivers, meaning teams place in a waiver claim with the top in the waiver order receiving the player. The winning team picks up the player’s current contract. If players are not claimed, they move into free agency where teams can negotiate new deals.

The Falcons sit at 8th.

There are a few notable players worth a kick to the tires. The most notable are below.

OT/OG/O? Alex Leatherwood. Leatherwood’s rookie campaign was perhaps most similar to Jalen Mayfield’s after being selected in the first round. We discovered that Leatherwood should not have been taken that early. Still, he deserves more than a year with much, much higher upside than Mayfield. Or at least he deserves a roster spot in place of Mayfield.

QB Kellen Mond. Nothing is more dangerous than being drafted the year before the whole staff gets fired. Mond is cut one year after being selected in the third round. Why would the Falcons even look at a QB? This should be more of a long-term play: Mariota seems extremely unlikely to return in 2023, leaving only Desmond Ridder. Further, with Mariota’s injury history, who not get a third arm that isn’t Feleipe Franks.

WR Tyler Johnson. The Falcons may have a crowded group of pass catchers compared to last year. That isn’t to say they are particularly good. Johnson could help fill out the bottom of the depth char.t