Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Falcons 53-Man Roster: Will Atlanta Keep Its 6 Wide Receivers?
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The Atlanta Falcons have six wide receivers on the roster going into the season.
After waiving four receivers yesterday, the team opted to keep No. 8 overall pick Drake London, Bryan Edwards, Olamide Zaccheaus, KhaDarel Hodge, Damiere Byrd and undrafted free agent Jared Bernhardt.
However, what is true in the NFL one day may not be the next. Rosters can still make changes between now and the season opener, and there were rumors that the team was looking to make a change. ESPN reported that the Falcons were interested in acquiring wide receiver Laviska Shenault from the Jacksonville Jaguars, but the team ultimately traded him to the NFC South rival Carolina Panthers.
The team also made a late signing in training camp, bringing in KeeSean Johnson after he was waived by the San Francisco 49ers. Johnson found himself on the wrong side of the bubble, but it signals that the Falcons may not have been impressed with the wide receiver room as a whole.
There should be a lot of movement on the waiver wire over the next few days, and when the dust settles, the Falcons may decide to make some changes at wide receiver. This could result in additions or subtractions. All six players provide value, but there isn't truly a "slam dunk" in this group. The team is going to put a lot of eggs in London's basket as a first-round pick, but the former USC Trojan missed a good chunk of training camp after injuring his knee.
Head coach Arthur Smith "feels good" about where London is, but there's no guarantee he can be 100 percent of what the Falcons expect him to be returning from injury in his first NFL season.
The wide receivers will have to succeed by committee, which means there might be changes from within if the front office feels like it's necessary.
The Falcons are set to play the New Orleans Saints in the season opener on Sept. 11 at 1 p.m.
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