The Atlanta Falcons' new regime has made it a priority to raise the floor, not the ceiling of this roster this offseason. In Matt Ryan's defense, it's hard to raise the ceiling much higher of a team that came inches (and a better coaching staff) away from making the playoffs in each of the last two seasons.
However, that approach has been put on display in nearly every move Ian Cunningham made this offseason. It came up in free agency. It surfaced during the 2026 NFL Draft, and it's all laying the foundation for the vision Cunningham and Kevin Stefanski have built: we breed competition all over.
Now that the draft is in the books, it's time for the Falcons to re-evaluate the state of this roster, especially as a potential second wave of free agency looms. And since the new regime is so bullish on the art of competition, these five players' roster spots will hang in the balance over the summer.
5 Falcons players who are running out of time to save their roster spots
CB Clark Phillips III
Clark Phillips started every game for the Falcons in 2024, but missed virtually all of 2025 due to a triceps injury. But even if he was healthy, I don't think it would've mattered all that much. The 24-year-old is gradually osing his place in Atlanta's secondary rotation, and may not even make the roster.
The Dirty Birds already have cornerbacks A.J. Terrell, Mike Hughes, Billy Bowman Jr., and now Avieon Terrell ahead of him on the depth chart, and you could argue that Cobee Bryant has stolen his job. I doubt Jeff Ulbrich moves on from him before the conclusion of his rookie deal, but this season will be a key one in determining the 2023 fourth-round pick's future in Atlanta.
LB JD Bertrand
JD Bertrand is the one linebacker the Atlanta Falcons have who doesn't fit what Jeff Ulbrich wants to build. Bertrand is slow, undersized, and struggles in coverage, so he has no reason to be a starting LB in the NFL. All he really offers is special teams value, and given how many linebacker the Falcons added and how brutal he looked replacing Divine Deablo last year, his roster spot is far from secure.
The Falcons added Kendal Daniels, Christian Harris, Harold Perkins Jr.. and Channing Tindall to an already-loaded LB room this offseason. And with Troy Andersen coming back and Deablo still headlining the linebacker room, it appears as though Bertrand is on the outside looking in in Atlanta.
TE Charlie Woerner
Atlanta is already preparing to extend Kyle Pitts and they signed Austin Hooper in free agency, so Charlie Woerner has been relegated to the TE3 role in the offense. All he truly offers is blocking help, so if the Falcons can save money choosing a younger blocking TE like UDFA Brandon Frazier over him, they may very well cut Woerner, who has been looked at as a cap casualty all offseason.
EDGE DeAngelo Malone
The Falcons did bring Malone back on a one-year prove-it deal, but even when he's healthy he doesn't offer much more than a rotational role off the edge. And his role isn't even safe anymore, as Atlanta loaded off on edge rushers to the point the 26-year-old will hardly see the field in 2026.
In addition to Jalon Walker and potentially James Pearce Jr., the defense added Azeez Ojulari, Samson Ebukam, and Harold Perkins Jr. to the pass-rush room this offseason. So while Perkins will play both outside and inside linebacker, I can see him beating Malone out for a role in training camp.
Even though he is the sole remnant of the trade that sent Matt Ryan to Indianapolis, his nickname is Matty Ice. I wouldn't put it past him and Cunningham to cut Malone during roster cuts in August.
WR Deven Thompkins
I wanted to give this spot to Casey Washington, but he at least has a shot to make the roster now that Raheem Morris is gone. Deven Thompkins is a special teamer who basically never touched the field on offense last season, but it appears as though his role on special teams may have vanished as well.
The Falcons drafted Georgia speedster Zachariah Branch in the third round of the draft--and part of his responsibilities will be to operate as the primary return man. And even someone like UDFA WR Vinny Anthony II offers similar special teams value and more offensive potential than Thompkins, so he's facing an uphill battle to make the roster.
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