Following a chaotic roster release day, the Atlanta Falcons' initial 53-man roster is officially in. A staggering 37 players were either waived, released or placed on IR since Friday night's preseason finale, setting the stage for an intriguing amount of corresponding moves to follow during this week.
The Falcons made a couple of surprise releases on Sunday afternoon, with Wanya Morris, Bralen Trice, Tyler Goodson, Azeez Ojulari, and Darnay Holmes among those big names. This new regime got bold with their roster construction, but it's a welcomed change from the risk-averse Raheem Morris.
Kevin Stefanski and Ian Cunningham were forced to make some difficult decisions yesterday, but it seems like it'll all work out for the better. Some players are better off and some are much, much worse off after the events of the roster release deadline, and now that the dust has (somewhat) settled, here are the winners and losers in Atlanta...
Who are the biggest winners and losers of Atlanta Falcons' roster release day?
Winner: Jack Strand
The biggest burning question about the Falcons' initial roster was whether or not undrafted rookie Jack Strand did enough in the preseason to stick around. And his breakout summer made the whole fanbase hope to see him on the roster--and like Molly Ringwald in 16 Candles, their wish came true.
Even though he spent the entire summer playing behind Cooper Rush, Stefanski knew Atlanta couldn't risk losing the young passer by waiving him. And rather than rolling the dice that he'd go unclaimed, they chose to roster four QB, affirming his status as someone they want to develop.
Winner: Ethan Onianwa
Speaking of rookies who got a major note of confidence from this new regime, Ethan Onianwa survived the turnover on the offensive line. Even though he looked pretty rough in pass protection in the preseason and it appeared he'd be on the roster bubble, Onianwa isn't going anywhere just yet.
Instead of releasing the seventh-round tackle from Ohio State, the Dirty Birds instead released Wanya Morris--which means that Michael Jerrell will be the backup left tackle, while Onianwa will be backing up Jawaan Taylor and he's one injury away from being the NFL's most important right tackle.
Between his size and versatility, this was always a player Bill Callahan saw as a moldable piece of clay for this offensive line--and now he gets to use his Harry Potter wand and work his magic.
Winner: Natrone Brooks
The Falcons had a safety room that was pretty set in stone entering roster cuts: Xavier Watts, Jessie Bates, DeMarcco Hellams, and Sydney Brown as the main four. But no person was helped more by this team rostering 14 defensive backs than Natrone Brooks, who transitioned to safety this summer.
Brooks was previously looked at as a dead man walking, but his newfound defensive versatility and special teams value have offered him a lifeline. And considering both Brown, Billy Bowman Jr. (who we'll get to next), and Brooks can play both DB positions, them. choosing to keep him says a lot.
Winner: Billy Bowman Jr.
In terms of players on Atlanta's initial roster, their stance on Billy Bowman Jr. was perhaps the most telling. He was never in any danger of being cut or anything, but was previously looked at as a possible candidate to spend the first four weeks on IR while continuing to rehab his torn Achilles.
However, the Falcons have yet to place Bowman on short-term IR to start the season, and since he'll be back early on in the year. Per Aaron Wilson, Bowman Jr. passed his physical and is well on his way to returning from his Achilles tear despite not practicing in any major capacity during training camp.
Thankfully, we still have a little under two weeks until the season opener, so seeing him play Week 1 in Pittsburgh may not be feasible we should see the Oklahoma product at some point in September...
Winner: JD Bertrand
JD Bertrand was the inverse Jack Strand this summer: he was the one player Falcons fans didn't want to see make the initial 53-man roster. And even though all summer it seemed like he was firmly on the roster bubble, it still wasn't enough for this new staff to pull the plug on the former Notre Dame star.
Bertrand snuck onto the roster as the fifth linebacker, edging out Josh Woods for the spot--even though it would've been really easy for them to waive him and stash on the practice squad. At this point, it sure seems like that no matter who's in charge, this team just can't quitd the third-year LB.
Loser: Darnay Holmes
Now we're finally onto the losers... and there is no better way to start than Darnay Holmes. I debated between Holmes and Tyler Goodson for this spot, since they both seemed like safe bets to make the roster and didn't--but I settled on Holmes over Goodson because Atlanta only rostered two RBs.
Meanwhile, the Falcons kept 13 defensive backs on their initial Week 1 roster. Mike Ford Jr., Jammie Robinson, and C.J. Henderson were kept over him. For a player who was taking first-team reps out of the nickel just a couple of practice sessions ago, that feels like a faster-than-expected fall from grace.
And perhaps this could have been the direct consequence of the Bowman news, but regardless, everything was perfectly aligned for Pro Way Darnay to get his shot, but didn't.
Loser: Azeez Ojulari
For the second loser, we have another former New York Giant in Azeez Ojulari. He signed a one-year deal with the Falcons thinking he would play a key rotational role off the edge, but he just wasn't good. And this time, he can't blame getting injured for his lack of production, he was truly invisible.
Once the defensive line lost both Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr., it made them even more desperate for EDGE contributors. But rather than rely on the former Georgia standout, they signed Za'Darius Smith, while Cameron Thomas and Samson Ebukam consistently out-performed him.
Since they only rostered three true EDGEs, it sounds like he has a chance to come back, but this is still not a good sign.
Loser: Zach Harrison
For the third and final loser on this list, I decided to rock with a player who made the roster. I know what you're thinking. How could somebody who survived roster cuts be deemed a loser of roster release day? And for that, I have two words for you: Gervon Dexter.
The Falcons acquired Dexter from the Bears yesterday morning, and even though he's entering a contract year, all signs point to Atlanta wanting to extend him. And considering Zach Harrison is also entering a contract year, he'll cede playing time (and possibly an extension) to his new teammate.
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