A chaotic roster release deadline is officially in the books, and the Atlanta Falcons' initial 53-man roster is in. But with all of the moves that were made across the league, don't get too comfortable, because the Falcons will likely make some corresponding moves that'll shake the current roster up.
There's players who they cut that they could bring back on the practice squad (or even the active roster), the idea of some players being placed on short-term IR to miss the first four games, and the most intriguing example of all, snatching up some of the players who were released by other teams.
The list goes on and on, as every team made their fair share of surprise cuts yesterday--the Falcons aren't alone here. And while Kevin Stefanski and Ian Cunningham may not want to shake things up too much, here are some of the newly-cut players this new regime should consider bringing to Atlanta.
Keep an eye on the Atlanta Falcons signing these newly-cut players
New York Giants OT/OG Evan Neal
I know you're probably rolling your eyes reading this right now, but here me out. Since the first two former New York Giants the Falcons signed didn't exactly work out, maybe the third time's the charm is one of the most disappointing NFL Draft picks in recent memory in former No. 7 pick Evan Neal.
Neal has been downright horrendous in New York, but there are reasons to believe in a turnaround. While he lacks the movement ability to be a starter, he's a plus as a run blocker, which means at the very least he can be a situational depth lineman for a team like the Falcons, who could use OL depth.
Backup guard Kyle Hinton is currently on the shelf, and while he wasn't placed on short-term IR yet, there's always the chance he could be. So if Atlanta wants to take a chance and give legendary OL coach Bill Callahan a true test of a reclamation project, this is the depth lineman with upside to go for.
Dallas Cowboys RB Jaydon Blue
I would be surprised if the Dirty Birds signed an external running back, especially after only rostering two, but right now Tyler Goodson is the runaway favorite to be retained as RB3 after he was a surprise cut. But if they do go the external route, the only name that would make sense would be Jaydon Blue.
The 2024 fifth-round pick was a surprise cut by Dallas after entering the offseason a favorite to back up Javonte Willams--and he looked good in the preseason. The explosiveness is there, and while his game still needs refinement, Atlanta can reunite him with his former Texas teammate BIjan Robinson.
Miami Dolphins LB Tyrel Dodson
Tyrel Dodson was probably the biggest name to be cut on Sunday, so expect him to be a commodity on waivers. In 2025, he logged 129 tackles, 10 TFLs, and five sacks, and was only cut because the Miami Dolphins got tired of masquerading as a competent football organization and want to rebuild.
I wouldn't necessarily call linebacker the Falcons' biggest need given they have Divine Deablo, Christian Harris, Kendal Daniels, and Harold Perkins Jr., that LB5 is being inhabited by JD Bertrand--and it's not hyperbole to say that Dodson would be worth sending Bertrand to the practice squad.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers EDGE Jack Pyburn
The Atlanta Falcons are only rostering three edge rushers (and 13 DBs) on their initial 53-man roster. There is almost no way that number is going to be sustained, which means some edge help is coming. And I would expect that to come beyond trying to bring back Azeez Ojulari and Bralen Trice.
And one of the best edge rushers to be released is Tampa Bay Buccaneers EDGE Jack Pyburn. He recorded four sacks in the preseason, is coming off of a 5.5-sack senior season at LSU, and while the general belief is that he'll try to go back to Baton Rouge (which is a genuinely insane concept), perhaps the Falcons can change his mind.
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