Though the Atlanta Falcons haven’t exactly proven it on the field yet, the 2024 team is brimming with young talent. That’s all thanks to a number of high draft picks over the last several seasons, including four-straight top-10 picks.
While general manager Terry Fontenot’s strategies since joining Atlanta in 2021 have often been criticized—especially after this year’s draft—it goes without saying that the overall roster is in much better standing than it was before him. Gone are the mostly bloated, bad contracts and aging veterans, replaced by youthful talent waiting to break out—not to mention a much better cap space situation.
But with all that youth, some veterans on the team are likely set to get the axe when it comes to cutting down the roster to the 53-man requirement. Here are some Falcons who might be on the bubble and will need to show out this preseason if they want to keep their jobs.
Taylor Heinicke, QB
After the Falcons shocked everyone with their No. 8 overall draft pick this year, selecting quarterback Michael Penix Jr., albeit after they signed Kirk Cousins to a massive deal, Heinicke quickly became forgotten.
No doubt Heinicke could still serve a meaningful purpose and further add to what is an impressive quarterback room, not to mention help mentor Penix further. But would the Falcons really want to limit Penix’s reps? That would seem counterproductive to their entire plan. Heinicke should have no problem finding another job as his experience will be welcomed by any quarterback-needy team.
Richie Grant, S
One of the weakest groups for the Falcons this season will be the secondary, and safety Richie Grant hasn’t exactly helped alleviate that problem since he arrived in 2021.
The former second-rounder will turn 27 this season, and the Falcons could save around $3 million by cutting him. Grant graded his worst defensively last season, with an overall grade of 51.5, according to Pro Football Focus. But he graded just 64.9 at his best in 2022. Meanwhile, his coverage grade dropped to an abysmal 42.4 last season. That led to rookie DeMarcco Hellams cutting into his playing time.
However, the good news for Grant coming into the 2024 season is that after the first four days of training camp, he was said to be running with the first-team secondary as the No. 2 safety, according to the team’s website. The Falcons like that he can be versatile and move all over the field, particularly playing close to the line of scrimmage. If he keeps impressing, he’ll be able to keep his spot on the roster.
Eddie Goldman, DL
When it comes to the interior of the defensive line, the Falcons are deep at the position this year. That accounts for the newcomers from this year’s draft class in Ruke Orhorhoro, Brandon Dorlus, and Zion Logue. That means someone is going to get the boot, with Eddie Goldman likely being at the top of the list.
It was odd that Goldman even agreed to return after retiring twice. He’s just 30 years old but hasn’t played a snap since the 2021 season, starting in 10 games and appearing in 14 for the Chicago Bears. He accounted for just half a sack and 22 total tackles that season.
Granted, other guys could get the boot over him, including LaCale London, who played barely 200 snaps last season, or Kentavius Street, who didn’t even play the last four games of the season last year. But with his wishy-washy retirement stance, the Falcons could make it easy on him and them and cut him if he doesn’t perform well through training camp and in the preseason.
