1. Carter Lorenzo Lorenzo Carter seems like a nice teammate and a reliable presence in the locker room, but he can’t consistently pressure quarterbacks in opposition. It may be said that a pass rusher needs to possess this ability. Although there are evident worries about Carter’s pass rush limitations, he is an excellent run defender with a strong motor. The defensive staff in Atlanta places a high emphasis on these, which may allow Carter to remain on the roster in the interim. Additionally, there’s a good likelihood that Carter will still be at the top of the depth chart on opening day, as Trice is the only edge rusher the Falcons added through the draft. Every club that has a pass rush that is even remotely competent would have to cut Carter according to his contract. Atlanta still has safety, corners, and receivers to upgrade in free agency. Carter’s removal might facilitate those changes, but it seems Atlanta is OK with their current depth chart. Terry Fontenot has demonstrated a commitment to some players who seemed like clear cuts. Another player who many would have thought would be an obvious cut coming into the season is Taylor Heinicke. 2. The Cousins of Kirk Let’s start by discussing the ludicrous trade rumours, which disregard the contract issue and all of Atlanta’s statements regarding the position. The second is stating the obvious—that Cousins and Atlanta are not in agreement and that the team is to blame for failing to inform their quarterback of this before selecting him with the eighth overall pick in the draft. The fact that Cousins received a four-year contract shortly after the team selected a quarterback is the reason he is included on this list. The front desk is informing you that they will not be keeping the agreement they made with you. Although there is a simple way out of the contract after year two, the team will still be slapped with a dead cap. There is now much greater pressure on Cousins to fully recover from his injury. If not, both the front office and the fans will start to wonder if keeping the youngster on the bench is a viable option. The Falcons’ first action as a team was to offend quarterback Kirk by telling him that the four-year contract he was offered wasn’t anything to be believed in. Quarterbacks have healthy egos. 3. Heinicke Taylor Less dramatically, the same feelings exist for a quarterback who ought to have been cut sooner. As previously mentioned, Heinicke’s personal relationships and his demeanour as a Falcon are the sole reasons he is still on this roster. Heinicke’s lack of improvement over Desmond Ridder on numerous occasions last season is the greatest insult a quarterback can receive. The fact that the Falcons could have saved $7 million in contract space by cutting Heinicke early only serves to further complicate the situation. Rather, the Falcons renegotiated the agreement and are currently shelling out a hefty sum of money for a third quarterback. Although the Falcons’ quarterback situation during the previous season was difficult, this reaction wasn’t necessary. There are several reasons to be concerned about the Falcons’ tie-in draft picks and money at the position. The most obvious is that you are still spending a lot of money on the position and haven’t assembled a full roster. If you think Heinicke is overkill and you fully trust Penix or Cousins, then Heinicke is a good backup. Atlanta went from investing nothing in a quarterback to the complete opposite. It might be effective, but it gives the squad an unnecessary distraction. 4. LaCale London and Eddie Goldman These two athletes were obviously vying for rotational depth positions on Atlanta’s team. London was good in spurts, but with Atlanta adding so many players to the defence, they will have a lot of competition going forward. Goldman is attempting his third season with the Falcons after coming out of retirement for the second time. It is clear that the team values him because they keep asking him back. Nevertheless, it is clear that both of these players’ paths to making the final squad have become much more difficult. Zach Harrison, Brandon Dorlus, David Onyemata, and Grady Jarrett ought to be regarded as locks. The two veterans trying to force their way onto the team are rapidly running out of spots as two more rookies and a fresh rookie edge rusher are added. 5. Ogundeji Ade Any edge rusher that Atlanta chose would knock someone off the depth chart, and it looks like that person would be Ade. The edge may be cut early in his career due to injuries and poor production, which would keep him off the pitch until later in his career if he doesn’t have a large camp.
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