Cleveland Browns vs. Atlanta Falcons Preview: 5 Key Roster Battles
The Atlanta Falcons wrap up their preseason Sunday night at 8 p.m. against the Cleveland Browns in Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The Falcons have been on the wrong side of two lopsided scores against the Tennessee Titans and Miami Dolphins, but head coach Arthur Smith has repeatedly maintained that the preseason is for building depth and evaluating players.
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Only a handful of projected starters have played in the first two games, and if we see the likes of Matt Ryan, Grady Jarrett and Calvin Bailey on Sunday, it will only be for a series or two.
Instead, the exhibition finale is about settling some key roster battles. The Falcons have to cut the roster from 80 players to 53 on Tuesday.
Here are five key roster battles to watch Sunday night before Atlanta finalizes the roster that will face the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 12 to kick-off the regular season.
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Backup Quarterback
Ryan is entrenched as starter. A.J. McCarron was signed in the offseason to be his primary backup, but he was lost to a season-ending knee injury Saturday against the Dolphins.
Undrafted free agent rookie Feleipe Franks has shown flashes of athleticism but has struggled in the passing game.
Josh Rosen, the No. 10 overall draft pick of the Arizona Cardinals in 2018, was signed Tuesday. Despite limited time with Atlanta this week, Smith said Rosen will play.
Ryan is unlikely to play more than a series, if at all, against the Browns. Franks and Rosen have a chance to grab the No. 2 quarterback spot with a strong performance, but Smith said on Monday that signing a quarterback this week wouldn't preclude the Falcons from looking at available options once NFL teams have made their cuts next week.
Rosen has the experience and talent to win the job, but he's on his fifth team in four seasons. It's just as likely that the No. 2 quarterback for 2021 isn't on the roster yet.
Starting Cornerback
There is one sure thing at cornerback for the Falcons, if A.J. Terrell is healthy, he's starting. The battle will be on the other side of field.
Fabian Moreau and Isaiah Oliver are the only two projected starters that have seen action on defense this preseason. One of them will start opposite Terrell against the Eagles.
Moreau signed a one-year contract with the Falcons in March as a free agent from the Washington Football Team. He was a third-round pick of Washington in 2017, and played in all 16 games last year with two interceptions.
Oliver was a second-round pick out of Colorado by the Falcons in 2018 and has spent his three-year career in Atlanta. He started 16 games in 2019 and 12 in 2020. His only interception with the Falcons came in his rookie season.
Both players will make the 53-man roster next week, but their battle to start opposite Terrell will be settled on the field.
Wide Receiver Depth
Calvin Ridley, Russell Gage and Olamide Zaccheaus have three spots locked down. Chris Rowland's ability on special teams as a return man should earn him a roster spot.
Tajae Sharpe had looked ready solidify his post as the fourth option prior to a less-than-convincing performance against the Dolphins on Saturday.
Rookie Frank Darby has shown flashes during the preseason, but not enough for him to feel safe on Tuesday.
Christian Blake had 13 catches for Atlanta in 2020, and he'll be in contention for a final roster spot as well.
Juwan Green is a wildcard in the equation. He spent the 2020 season on the Atlanta Falcons practice squad. The University at Albany product led the FCS in touchdown receptions in 2019 with 17.
Atlanta had a combined nine wide receivers (6) and tight ends (3) on the roster last year, but with Smith's tight end heavy attack, there might not be room for as many wide receivers this season.
Starting Left Guard
The starting spots along the offensive line look set with the possible exception of left guard. Rookies Drew Dalman and Jalen Mayfield have been cross-trained at multiple positions across the offensive line. Dalman has gotten work at guard and center, Mayfield at right tackle and guard.
Andrews has struggled with fitness during the preseason, opening the door for Dalman and Mayfield to make an impact.
Projected starting right tackle Kaleb McGary missed the beginning of camp, but Willie Beavers and Mayfield looked unconvincing in his role.
Backup Linebackers
This arguably the deepest and most talented unit the Falcons have. Atlanta only kept five linebackers to start the 2020 season, but the switch to defensive coordinator Dean Pees' 3-4 system means that number will increase.
However it also means that players that were listed as defensive ends last year, like Steven Means and Dante Fowler, will occupy a linebacker spot on the depth chart.
Deion Jones, Foye Oluokun, Means, and Fowler are safe. Jacob Tuioti-Mariner and Mykal Walker will make the 53 as well.
At 6-3 and 263 pounds, Brandon Copeland will battle Adetokunbo Ogundeji for a backup outside linebacker spot. Copeland was signed from New England in the offseason and Ogundeji was Atlanta's fifth round draft pick out of Notre Dame.
Copeland probably gets the nod and Ogundeji could be candidate for the practice squad.
That's seven players for four linebacker positions. If Atlanta just takes two players for every position, that leaves a fierce battle between Emmanuel Ellerbee, Dorian Etheridge and Erroll Thompson.
The Falcons signed Ellerbee in July. He was originally signed by Atlanta as an undrafted free agent out of Rice in 2018. He never played for the Falcons, but saw game action with the LA Chargers and Seattle Seahawks in 2018, and spent last season on the Houston Texans practice squad.
At 254 pounds, Thompson brings more size to the middle of the Falcons defense than the other linebackers. He was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Mississippi State in May. He had a scare against the Dolphins with what appeared to be a head injury, but later returned to the game and finished with two tackles.
Etheridge was signed by the Falcons as an undrafted free agent from Louisville. He's been one of the stars of the preseason. He is the runaway leader in tackles with 25 in two games. His 13 tackles against the Titans nearly tripled the next highest total.
If the Falcons keep more than eight linebackers, more than one of these players could make the 53 man roster. As it stands now, Etheridge has played his way on to this team.
For fans, preseason games present a conundrum. They're excited to see the NFL is back, but quickly grow anxious to see the starters in meaningful games.
For a player fighting for playing time, or more importantly a job, a meaningless preseason game against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday could be the most important game of his career.
