Every NFL team’s most surprising cut candidate

Atlanta Falcons — Cordarrelle Patterson

The Atlanta Falcons have already made a long list of cuts this offseason. They dropped cornerback Casey Hayward, a former big-money free agent who now looks for a new home. Quarterback Marcus Mariota is now with the Philadelphia Eagles. The Falcons are looking to make a big move in the standings this season, so they must have the perfect mix on offense and defense.

The Falcons made the somewhat surprising move of drafting Bijan Robinson with their top pick in the NFL Draft. They did this despite Tyler Allgeier playing a key role down the stretch at running back. Allgeier kept taking larger portions of the offensive workload, hitting a plateau in Week 18 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when he ran for 139 yards.

With two dynamic, young running backs on the roster, one would assume that’s all the Falcons need. That’s where the cuts come in. Cordarrelle Patterson was a revelation for the Falcons, carrying the offense for two years.

Now, Patterson is third on the depth chart. He could stick with the Falcons as a kick returner. Even at his advanced age (it still hurts to say that about a 32-year-old), he should be one of the better returners in the league. With Avery Williams tearing up his knee just a few days ago, the Falcons may feel compelled to keep Patterson. However, Over the Cap says the Falcons can save more than $4 million by parting ways with the former starter. There’s a good chance that can happen.