If we were discussing the biggest Atlanta Falcons' draft busts in recent memory, one of the first names to come up would be Bralen Trice--even if it's not his fault. He tore his ACL in the preseason as a rookie and re-aggravated the same knee last summer, so he's played a whopping zero regular season snaps.
The allure was the same as Troy Andersen. If he was healthy, the upside would be immense. But since he was never healthy, it was a never-ending story of what could've been. And now the what-ifs are getting even crazier because Trice was a victim of roster cuts before the 6:00 p.m. release deadline.
Trice was healthy for the first time in his NFL career this offseason, and it still wasn't enough for the Falcons to keep him around. This was a player who was a third-round pick a little over two years ago, yet he was cut before he could ever make his NFL debut or ignite his long-awaited redemption arc.
The Atlanta Falcons are releasing former third-round pick Bralen Trice
It's not hard to see why Atlanta was willing to pull the rip-cord on the 25-year-old. While he's finally healthy, an injury sidelined him for the last couple weeks of training camp--including the first two preseason games--although he did make his return in time for Friday's preseason finale in Miami.
And he saw enough run in that game to record four pressures--but it still wasn't enough. It's fair to assume he'll receive a look on the practice squad once he clears waivers, especially after this performance, but it's especially telling that the Dirty Birds cut him while desperate for pass-rush help.
With Jalon Walker out for the season and James Pearce Jr. suspended for the first eight games of the season, all of the stars were aligned for Trice to make an impact. His main competition for snaps was Za'Darius Smith, Samson Ebukam, Azeez Ojulari, Cameron Thomas--and still couldn't stand out.
That should tell you all you need to know. The former Washington standout was one of the Falcons' most hyped-up draft picks from the 2024 Draft class, but new Falcons' GM Ian Cunningham has actively tried to forge his own path and get rid of Terry Fontenot guys--and down goes another one.
Cunningham's Falcons have wanted to bring in their guys and not keep all of these layovers from the previous regime, and this is the nail in the coffin of another Fontenot draft pick who didn't pan out. And while injuries are to blame for Bralen Trice's issues, Atlanta is done waiting for his comeback bid.
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