 What's up everybody and welcome to another edition of the Falcons final whistle podcast I'm Scott Bayer and that over here Troy McClaney. There's lots of pointing this morning On a Monday morning as we break down our dueling ooh 53 man Ross projections I would go ahead and encourage everyone in the audience to pull up their laptop or phone Go to Atlanta Falcons comm tp tabby tp typy, right or or pull up the app Yeah, or please do that and then go to our roster projections It's gonna be nice to have a visual there right as we talk about what we think is Gonna happen with this roster and we're not gonna go through it position by position because that's boring right I think what we're gonna do is try to highlight some areas that were difficult for us to make choices some really tough cuts and then also kind of Where we think the Falcons still need to fill in with some talent So we're gonna talk about all those different types of things as we head towards the big 53 man roster cut down the deadline to turn in The trimmed roster is at 4 p.m. Eastern time and before we get into on Tuesday on Tuesday Thank you. Yeah, including dates. You're welcome in the timeline August 30th if anyone's keeping a calendar Yeah, and you should But before we get to all that I'm gonna be all Debbie don Debbie downer here. Oh, and let's just say this Okay, there's a lot of excitement about what's gonna happen next with the Falcons and who they're gonna go into the future with This is also not one of my favorite days on the calendar, right? Because we have Tori and I have gotten to know a lot of these people Yeah, who aren't gonna be with the team anymore, and that's always like a difficult thing Yeah, so we talk about this right and we're pumped, but it's also, you know It's really weird because like in terms of like our jobs Like this is a really big day for our jobs because a lot of people are curious as to who makes the 53 man But then in terms of like these some of these players in their jobs Like you're it's I just want to make sure like we're not Celebrating like so-and-so is on the 53 man and so-and-so is not because that's not what a cut down day is It's actually kind of it sucks. Yeah, like to be completely honest like and I think Arthur Smith even said post game He like came in and immediately was like, you know, I have a lot of respect for These 80 guys who have been here for the last few months and really putting in the work And now you're having to make these really difficult decisions and another thing too is This 53 man just because they announced 53 guys on Tuesday Does not mean that that's a 53 guys that you're gonna see week one or beyond and I think like it's a very fluid situation and I just think like the celebration of it. There shouldn't be a celebration of it It should be more of like, okay, this is the business side of it And this is what's happening and here's who they have right now It's probably not gonna be who they're gonna have an even two days after right and once again We're already off of my very limited rundown script already, but let's talk about a Coddrey allison Coddrey allison and I think he's a good example of everything that we're saying here He's a guy who had a really good preseason, right? He's a guy who's been On the roster bubble a couple of times before and I talked to him after Saturday's game after what was another good performance by him And he said look I'm gonna go about my Monday and Tuesday as I normally would if you sit there and hope your phone Doesn't ring you're gonna drive yourself crazy Yeah, so that's one point is that there's a lot of anxiety leading up to this number two if you go back to last year he made the 53 man roster and a very short time later he was let go for Wayne Gaulman and then was put on the practice squad and then Got elevated and then made some plays and then got back again So that's a he's a great human example of kind of how you can work your way through this league 100% and I think you know, I got here in 2020 I started covering the Falcons then and that's when you know Quadra got his kind of start in the league and This is a guy who I think we have seen every way possible that he has somehow some way found his way off the practice squad and into a real game in the regular season and So I think that it just again it shows the fluidity fluidity of the situation and you're exactly right that he's a really good example of a person who May not make the 53 man a bit like initially but eventually and I think it also goes back to These coaches have guys that they like that sometimes there's just not room for them right now And I say right now. I don't mean that there's never room I mean right now there's not room and so that changes periodically as injuries happen as guys hit the market I mean, there's a lot of like moving parts I know we say that often and sometimes it's kind of a catch-all But there really is when it comes to like roster construction, especially with where this organization is right now There is so many moving parts that you have to consider and fair warning. You're listening to a podcast with two fully fledged Totally fine with it roster construction. Yeah, I own that. Yeah, I am too. I like the roster math I like the strategy behind it and There are you're right there are so many different ways to get on the roster now with practice quite elevations and a larger practice squad and and We're gonna get back to all this and down the road But he put a lot of good tape out there even going back to that first preseason game with the first team Against a first team. He's an NFL running back period So before we kind of get into all the nuts and bolts of our roster projections and what we're thinking about How What we anticipate happening on Tuesday and beyond through the rest of the week General impressions of what was a very competitive Really intriguing training camp for the Atlanta Falcons. Yeah, I think it's really interesting because We knew going into this training camp that it was going to be competitive We knew that there were a lot of spots that were open for grabs and I'm not just talking roster spots And I'm talking starting spots I think about the offensive line just in general you looked at that going into training camp and you literally said there could be Three spots open now. We have more of a cognizant understanding of what direction this offensive line is going Caleb McGarry has solidified himself at right tackle. I think we can say that he's had a good camp Yeah, and then you have Elijah Wilkinson who has solidified himself at left guard You still don't know what the heck's going on at center You don't know if it's going to be Matt Hennessy or Drew Dahlman in terms of fair evaluations There is no two people that have had their fair share out of spot than those two guys have But you still have a question mark there. They've got to make a decision there But I I think the that was something that was really interesting is that this offensive line Looking at it going in and kind of now where it is. I think you feel Okay with where it's at and you know that there are some decisions that you have to make in terms of who's that starting center spot I also think we saw some guys Kind of some skill guys flash that we weren't expecting no one knew who Jared Bernhardt was before training camp and now He's somebody who a lot of people are putting on their 53 man rosters. I know you did I did Yeah, I know I did when I was talking to Kelly price on rise up tonight shameless plug Fox 5 midnight But he's a guy who came out of nowhere that you really think is a Arthur Smith type of guy You think about what fully pay Frank's has done at tight end not at quarterback because I don't I still even though We've seen him more at quarterback at at like in preseason games. I Feel like I have to tell people like It's not a mirage what we saw him do as a tight end. No, right Like I feel like people think that I'm crazy for being like hopefully pay Frank's is gonna make this 53 man has a tight end But like y'all I wish I wish that you could have seen what we saw in the first two weeks of camp and what he was doing Where he was taking a hundred percent of his reps at tight end. So those are just oh D. Alfred I could go on there are so many names that just keep popping into my mind as it kind of rolls and circles that I think Were some of these really fun storylines and standouts from camp this year. Yeah, it's it's wild and We've I've done an exercise where it's like who was the biggest surprise inclusion Who is the biggest surprise cut and you think about Jared Bernhardt and D. Alfred? And you go back a couple weeks ago, and they would have been a surprise inclusion Back in late July, but now you look at D. Alfred. You're like, well, of course you're gonna make it, right? It's like, which is so which is so weird right to think about those a sense of those guys I think it's been really competitive. I I do think Okay, super Tangential moment here. Go ahead. You know how sometimes college and I think it's so silly when they do this Oregon The University of Oregon is doing it right now when a college football coach will not name his starting quarterback until like the dude walks out Yeah, the first offensive series so dumb Yeah, but it's always with a quarterback and it's a big deal. You don't know you're dealing with okay I want that to happen at center so bad You're like that's the that's the storyline you want to push all the way to week one Yeah, and mostly because I think Arthur would just be like having fun with it Right, let's go ahead and keep the mystery out until until the starting center walks out now Is that gonna change how the Saints? Defend no no So terrific and such a like come on college football coach like let's be right. Yeah Like you're gonna play Georgia. You're 17 and a half point dogs. It bow nicks or anybody else. It doesn't matter Okay, this is a professional football Hey, we can continue talking about college football, you know, I could talk for days. I just think it's so silly Back to the 53 back to the 53 man, but yeah, so there's still a lot of unknowns. We talked about center Okay, and as you bring up all the time, right? Who is a quote-unquote starter really doesn't matter So do we know who's gonna take the lion's share of the carries at running back? Maybe not in terms of who's gonna be active behind Patterson and how much you get there's so much that we don't know that Arthur Smith has not shown anyone, right? For example, Fleet Bay Franks at tight end There's a lot of creativity in the man's mind that will come out in week one and beyond So I think it's been a really competitive camp. Yeah, I think it's been one of the most intriguing in the league probably because there are so many things up for grabs and you're Integrating to new quarterbacks and those types of things When it came to making the roster projections Tori What in your mind was the most difficult position to cut down and why? I think I Go back and forth. There were three that I thought well I know you asked what what was the most equal and now I'm gonna give you three. Yeah, that's fine Um, I thought running back was really difficult for what we said about Quadra allison, right? I thought he had a really good camp I thought he did Everything that you needed a guy like him to do in camp and it kind of sucks sometimes when everything isn't enough And I'm not saying that this is not me saying that quadra is not gonna make the roster No, I'm just saying for my perspective and where I had the numbers I couldn't find a way to make him fit and it makes sense because I wanted to carry somebody else on an at another position But that was really tough because you know that you have CP You have Damian Williams who we have not seen hardly at all in the preseason as we should like we shouldn't see them in the Preseason we've seen a lot of Tyler Algier. He's done some good things. You know, he's making the 53 man You know, you have to carry Keith Smith. You know, you have to carry Avery Williams Even though Avery Williams is not technically on the totem pole in terms of where I think The running backs are but you keep him because he's your special teams guy He's your return man. You have to keep him and you carry him as a running back. So that was really difficult then wide receiver Wide receiver was I feel like I have written about the wide receivers for weeks Like everything that I feel like I have written has had some Sprinkling of the wide receivers in there I mean, even if you go back to the off-season program when they were carrying like 13. Yeah, I mean you were writing about that then It's been a very intriguing Position group. Yeah, because it's one of those that you knew kind of who your locks were you knew Drake London Alameda Zaccheus Brian Edwards, you knew that they were locks Everybody else after that the three the two or three roster spots that you maybe had open Everybody kind of felt like they were on the same playing field They felt very similar in terms of like they would flash some days that have some days that they weren't that flashy I think Kaderahe Hodge is somebody who in the last two weeks has established himself as a 53-man roster guy Yeah, so then you're looking at one maybe two spots and you think of guys like Demir bird Frank Darby Jared burn heart Cameron Batson these guys were very much all on the same level And that was something that I thought was When I think about this receiver group and who you pick and choose it was like, okay Who helps you out the most on special teams at this point? it's like who's gonna allow you to get the most bang for your buck and I To be honest, like I still go back and forth like do you carry six? Do you carry five? Do you carry Demir and Frank Darby? Do you carry? Frank Darby and Jerry Bernhardt like who what is the combination of guys that you're carrying and what's the right collection of? Talent and talent diversity to round out this group right because for a long time Geronimo Allison and Auden Tate were in this conversation Yeah, until very recently until very recently when you cut the roster from 85 to 80, which was last week So they were in the conversation up until last week And then you got to see more clarity a little bit as to who these coachy who these coaches are really choosing between and I think it's still one of those things that if you have Frank Darby make the 53-man Jared Bernhardt's on the practice squad if you have Bernhardt on the 53-man Darby's on the practice squad, you know, like I think that these are guys that we're gonna continue to see Around but that was a position group that I felt like there were some guys who were kind of very similarly Not wired, but like they were kind of on the same level in my head Yeah, and I look at if let's stick with that position for one second on the back end when I when I chose Bernhardt and Darby was still out there He's an energetic guy, and he's a really good teammate people like him He's always at an 11, but he's right like super positive energy, right? It's not like necessarily like annoying He's just like he just loves being a football player He just like lives at like a five-hour energy level all the time like a five-hour energy was like a person over 24 hours, it's Frank Darby. I feel like you should work an endorsement deal out of that You're welcome, but the I go back, and I think Is Jared Bernhardt gonna get picked up by somebody else great question There's some good preseason tape out there And he's new to the position and all it takes is one area scout to pound his fist on the table really loudly and say Let's add this guy to the 53 man or let's bonus the living bejesus out of him to get him on our practice squad There's a lot of things that can happen when you just let go and kin would that same thing happen for Darby You kind of go back and forth on that because I'm sure to your point. They don't want to lose Either of those guys so that that that's another element that you have to add in here Or can you keep them and then sneak him on the practice squad like a week later when waivers are involved? There's so many different elements to it right well and to like you think about how much the Falcons are looking at other 53 man rosters and who's getting cut from other 53 man rosters people are doing the same thing here Yeah, people are also looking to see if Jared Bernhardt falls through the cracks. I mean these these are things that are actively happening It's not just like we're living in this very like stagnant Like place here in Atlanta and we're in this little bubble new new new new like I can promise you this that the entire front office for the Falcons has every single eye on Every single cut that is made across the league. They do more 53 and 53 man roster projections than we do which we know Joe I'm curious your third yes difficult position group to cut down was that inside linebacker? It was okay. Yeah, perfect transition Yeah, I agree with you 100% because they just have they have too many deserving guys Yeah have spots especially now that Dion Jones is in the mix, right? Yeah, now that Dion Jones is back and we don't know what the future of Dion Jones in Atlanta is and I'm not gonna speculate one way Or the other but Even saying that this is a podcast and this is what we do So I think it was really interesting because you think about that inside linebacker position and you know you have Michael Walker and Rashaun Evans and they're your starters Arthur Smith has said that he said I'm not taking that away from them simply because Dion Jones is back on the field Dion has to earn his starting spot back and it's crazy that we're saying that because this is a former pro bowler But make sense Because Rashaun and Michael Walker have been doing some good things at the position Michael Walker Especially I've talked to him a lot about the growth that he's had and really feeling like he's the vocal leader of this defense Then you have a guy like Troy Anderson who they drafted and who they really feel strongly is a not first-year starter, but a developmental guy and then you have Dion Jones and We don't know what's gonna happen, but I could see a realm in which they keep Dion Jones on the 53 man stash somebody else away and See if a trade comes to fruition and then you have You enact a trade you do what you got to do in terms of cap all that kind of stuff because the only Logical way to part ways with Dion Jones if you're wanting to part ways with Dion Jones is a trade Thank you You cannot cut him Dion Jones will not be cut from this roster and this is this is just us stating facts in terms of its Benefits or lack there of in relation to the salary right exactly. Yes, that's exactly what what I'm saying It does not make sense if you're talking about from the money in the business standpoint It does not make sense to cut Dion Jones now It does make sense to trade him right, but there's it takes two to tango And so you need somebody who would want Dion Jones, and I feel like there probably are some Situations out there across the league where people would be curious to see what Dion Jones can do in a different system I also think it was kind of an important move for the Falcons and for Dion Jones, too To get some tape on him to show that yes, he's healthy. Yes. He's fully rehabbed his shoulder. He's good to go Kind of putting him on a silver flatter right to be like hey here you go, but we don't know what's gonna happen But all I know is is that you kind of have to carry him on the 53 man roster if a trade is not enacted in the next 24 hours Yeah, and there's again it goes back to if you let somebody go will he eventually be back in your building And you you did the defensive side of our 53 man roster projection this time and you kind of Which I think was a smart thing you Elaborated on what might happen. I feel like I needed to yeah There were so many you think about Marlon Davidson who has been injured reportedly injured for the last couple of weeks who we have not seen at all and You're not gonna carry him on the 53 man roster like more if this is an actual significant injury You're gonna put him on IR Which opens up another spy and so it was almost kind of like I kept doing that for different positions Across the defense because defense it really felt like there were some spots where you had to have that clarity as To like hey, I'm putting Marlon Davidson on the initial 53 man roster But that's not me saying that he's gonna be on it 24 hours later right because of the rule that if you put him on injured reserve before the initial 53 man roster Formation he's done for the year right if he if he's on the 53 man and then goes on IR the next day He's eligible to return. So that's a huge designation and so back to inside linebacker thing Yeah, you have you have Nick Kwiatkowski out there. He's been a little banged up I've seen him play before when I was covering the Raiders. He's a good established player He's been a starter. He's been a solid reserve who's come in especially with the Chicago Bears and been really good He could easily get Swiped up to he could be a cheaper option for some other team So that's the thing is that once this 53 man and these cuts happen You lose a little bit of control right and then you kind of need everything to go the way that you want it to go That's why I think with the three positions that we're talking about We're talking about having more talents that you want to keep then you're allowed to keep and then you got to like You know take the leash off and then hope to like hope they come back home Right also like hope nothing else happens anywhere else to entice them elsewhere But then at the exact same time you're probably also thinking the back of your head Okay, is there any players that we would like to entice? Yes to come here transition and I think that that is a very Real possibility you and I have discussed I believe on podcast before definitely in writing and for certain as We're just like randomly talking right about the fact that there are certain position groups in my opinion And yours the defensive line where it's very possible that the the group they go into the regular the first 53 The five or so guys that they have maybe they're gonna make an addition there, right? Yes So with the defensive line, I feel like I've said for a couple weeks now I know we've talked about it that the depth that you need across the defensive interior is currently not in Atlanta and I know that that's like pretty harsh to say But I did I just do think that there are gonna be some cuts made Across the defensive interior across the league that you could go find someone who could come in and help you immediately in terms of depth Because there is no other position group that has Suffered the injuries to the degree the defensive line has so many so many injuries a retirement There are so many things that happened with this defensive interior that it almost to me It's like you've got it like there are some guys on 80 man rosters that could come in and help immediately but then also in saying that and I even wrote this after the game on Saturday the third preseason game we saw some guys like Derek Tangelo and Nick Thurman and Abdullah Anderson Play pretty well. They played as well as I think I've seen a Second third string defensive line play in a preseason game maybe ever this is we're talking about preseason games now So I have I do add that caveat But they almost it was almost kind of like them being like hey Tori like eat your words you've been saying for now two weeks that we're Us as a collective group cannot make this 53 men or we will make it But then they're gonna go out and get somebody or sign somebody else and then we're gonna be gone they put up a fight on Saturday that I think should be noted and it's one of those things where it's like did they prove on Saturday and throughout this last week of the preseason that they do deserve spots on this 53 man roster and they do deserve to be considered as the Important depth pieces that the Falcons desperately need at defensive line. They've made their case I will say that they have made their case and they have made me kind of rethink a little bit where I think this Position group goes in the next week two weeks. Yeah, and I talked to Derek Tangelo after Saturday's game one Great dude delightful human being. Yeah, really to he is he was college roommates with Arnold Abba Katie my favorite story to come out of Preseason was talking to both of them together and go find the video Go find the video. It's it's circle. It's probably on my Twitter It's circle Twitter a few times, but they have like they sing so it was like they had a house at Penn State and AK like very much like wanted Derek Tangelo to live with him And so he essentially like made him live with him and they had of like it was like five guys in this house And they had like a recording studio and AK sang and Tangelo like did all this stuff and it was just very it was it was an amazing like five minutes of Just pure happiness. I loved I loved their late. I love their relationship Yeah, and I think nobody was happier about Tangelo's performance than AK and that includes Derek, right? Because I talked to both guys and Arnold was pumped because Arnold is is a high second High second round draft pick right and say that right who they traded up to get yeah security Yeah, right and then he's got his buddy who is like scrapping and fighting for every For a root for a roster spot in a chance to show that he can make it in this league So he's really pulling. I think there's more drama when it comes to what Derek is going to do then even We could have a spend five minutes about how we've seen Arnold evolve and produce and all these other types of things So I do think defensive line is one of those spots. I think the secondary looks Secondary looks pretty set. Yeah, the offensive line looks pretty set at this point But gosh you go back to that defensive line if you were to do a 53 man roster projection in May Oh, it's Anthony rush Grady Jarrett to Quan Graham Marlon Davidson. I don't know if Eddie Goldman was signed yet Let's just say that he was and Vincent Taylor. It looked very it looked very different Yeah, because Abdullah Anderson wasn't on this roster in July. Nope and Derek Tangelo has has flashed They even lost Jalen Dalton. Yeah at some point during the year. So think about the nutrition The New York game, right? Yeah, who is he was playing a lot too He was he almost thought that he had the edge for that right or fifth spot So talk about a position coach that has done his work this summer is Gary Emanuel. Yeah, my goodness So I think as we look at it and as we kind of wrap up here Tori Kind of okay, so we've talked a lot about Tuesday, right? Yeah, and then we've talked a lot about what's gonna come after some guys are gonna end up on IR Maybe you're gonna have some signings. You're gonna build a 16-man practice squad Okay, so now they've got a week or two to head into that Saints game now. It's game time, right? Yeah, we've seen our last open practice. Oh shit. It's here. Oh Did you say bless? You're like upset and I'm like, thank God But No matter how you feel about it, right? We're heading towards Saints week. Mm-hmm this this collection of talent. I think Kind of final thoughts on it is I think all the competition has really forged Forged this roster and they got that chip on your shoulder. We don't care about your expectations attitude I think all those things have been good. I think it'll help them as they move forward I do too and I think it's one of those things where we still don't really know what the identity of this team is We can say like chip on your shoulder, but what does that mean in terms of actual football? You know and like I love that mentality, but can you show it to me on the field in the heat of the moment? And I think that is where we are right now We're we still have so much to learn about this team Well after the 53 man roster is quote-unquote set and I use quote-unquote set because it's never set But hey as Arthur Smith said the hay's never in the barn and that's accurate and that's accurate. So Moving forward, can you show me that you do have a chip on your shoulder when you play the Saints the Rams the Seahawks? Whoever else were playing in the first like a month of the season, right? Yeah, and it's it's gonna be fascinating to see in the end after the final preseason game Tori wrote there are still more questions Yes, and there are a lot more questions about a team with a lot of new That's what's gonna be fascinating as we watch the Falcons progress through the early portion of the season and you will Hear all about what we're learning what we've seen what we expect moving forward on the Falcons final whistle podcast I thank you guys so much for joining yet again Don't forget after the Falcons set their initial 53 man Our buddies over at Falcons audible are gonna break this whole thing down. So so rate review all that type of stuff and Yeah