Let the competition begin. Those words and a playing of Welcome to the Jungle should be precisely how Kevin Stefanski kicks off his first training camp with the Atlanta Falcons. But the NFL isn't a movie, and Stefanski isn't about to tap into his inner Denzel Washington from Remember the Titans.
However, that doesn't mean that the Falcons are neglecting their position battles once training camp begins. It's the final opportunity for all of the players on the roster bubble to prove to a new coaching staff that they deserve to stick around, and making an impression during the preseason does matter.
Atlanta's quarterback battle is getting most of the buzz, but in terms of making the roster, neither Michael Penix Jr. or Tua Tagovailoa is in any jeopardy. But for everyone else, including one particular player, time is of the essence and the margin for error is growing smaller the closer camp gets.
Joshua Simon needs to save his roster spot once training camp starts
One of those players is 2025 UDFA Joshua Simon, who was one of the Falcons' pre-season releases last summer. But he signed a reserve/futures deal with the team back in January and is hoping to prove that he can make an impact in a crowded tight end room if given the opportunity to do so.
The Dirty Birds' tight end room consists of the recently-extended Kyle Pitts, free agent pickup Austin Hooper, and Charlie Woerner, with Simon and 2026 UDFA Jack Velling vying to spark chaos. But it'll be easier said than done unless Stefanski loves tight ends enough to roster four during the season.
Thats not a given, but the 25-year-old sure is making a hard bargain. he showed some nice flashes during OTAs, but that may not be enough. He'll have to sustain that momentum during training camp, especially since the Falcons have no plans of shedding salary by releasing Woerner anytime soon.
At 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds, Simon is a solid receiving tight end. In his final season at South Carolina, he caught 40 passes for 519 yards and seven touchdowns. And across his six seasons in college, he caught 25 touchdowns, so at the very least, he could be a red-zone threat in 12-personnel packages.
Obviously Pitts and Hooper aren't going anywhere, so it's not much of a position battle for a roster spot. All Joshua Simon has to do is prove to Stefanski and this new coaching staff that he deserves to stick around, especially over Velling, and he doesn't exactly have unlimited opportunity to do so.
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