DL Eddie Goldman placed on exempt/left squad list, LB Dorian Etheridge cut

The Falcons added two players yesterday, picking up defensive lineman Justin Ellis and linebacker Kemoko Turay. As you might have anticipated, there were a couple of corresponding moves that went with it, and yesterday afternoon the team confirmed which two.

As expected, Eddie Goldman has been placed on the exempt/left squad list, and his time with the team appears to be over again. Having signed with the team in 2022 before unexpectedly retiring and then making a brief return here in 2023, Goldman’s run with Atlanta and possibly the NFL is over. He never played a snap with the team, and now the Falcons will be looking elsewhere for veteran depth along the line, starting with Ellis. This likely increases the chances that Timothy Horne, a 2022 undrafted free agent who played admirably in a starting role down the stretch, will stick on the roster.

The other cut is Dorian Etheridge, who has been a special teams contributor and preseason standout at times over the past two seasons. Etheridge could still return at some point if the team needs linebacker depth, but the signing of Kaden Elliss and special teams-focused veterans like Tae Davis likely contributed to pushing him off the roster. With Elliss, Troy Andersen, and Mykal Walker likely to make the team, the competition for a final spot (or two) with a heavy emphasis on special teams should come down to Nate Landman, Davis, Andre Smith, and Mike Jones Jr.

We wish both Goldman and Etheridge well, and we’ll see how the depth picture shakes out at both inside linebacker and the defensive interior.