3 Atlanta Falcons who made the 53-man roster but didn’t deserve it

So here we are. Cut day came and went in the NFL. All 32 franchises are now at or below 53 players on their roster. This includes my favorite team and the one I cover the closest in the Atlanta Falcons. Even though Atlanta went 0-for during the preseason, the Falcons hardly played their starters, or even marquee role players. It was all about rounding out the depth of this ascending NFC franchise.

Atlanta is the presumptive favorite to come out of the NFC South this season. It would be their first division crown since winning the NFC back in 2016. Atlanta is currently in the midst of its longest playoff drought of my lifetime of six, going on seven years... The last time Atlanta played in a postseason game, we experienced something that all of Dirty Bird Nation knows as Fourth and Sark.

So what I want to do today is outline three players who made the 53-man roster, but didn't pass the eye test with flying colors. Admittedly, finding at least three was incredibly difficult to do. This is a testament to how well of a team Terry Fontenot has constructed, as well as Raheem Morris and his staff's ability to identify and cultivate talent. It was truly slim pickings here with the Falcons in all this.

Let's start with a guy who probably made the team, mostly because another player had to go on IR.

3. Atlanta Falcons DB Micah Abernathy

Admittedly, this is not one I wanted to put down. I know that Micah Abernathy comes from a famous family in Atlanta, nor do I really think he should not have made the team. However, I would venture to guess his roster spot is still up in the air after the first few weeks of the season, based on DeMarcco Hellams being placed on short-term IR. He was sensational in his first season with Atlanta last year.

I found it odd that Atlanta went rather light at defensive back during the roster cutdown process. Even more so, I really wonder why Kevin King did not make the team out of camp. He looked great at times in the preseason. The fact that he played for Falcons defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake at Washington could have pushed him over the top to make the team. This is a spot worth monitoring.

Abernathy was probably going to make the team anyway, but the Hellams injury certainly helped him.

2. Atlanta Falcons QB Taylor Heinicke

This is the one that everyone and their brother will go back to. For as much as I do think Taylor Heinicke is taking up a roster spot, the Falcons were almost always going to have three quarterbacks on this team. This is because they need a little more depth at the position because of Kirk Cousins working his way back from an injury, as well as Michael Penix Jr. being a rookie out of Washington.

Over the last few years, Heinicke has shown that he can be a capable stop-gap starter, at times, but now probably on the lower end of that spectrum. The biggest question is if it will be him or Penix forced into action should anything bad happen to Cousins this season. Atlanta keeping Heinicke only goes to show that the Falcons do not want quarterback play to be the reason they come up short.

I could go either way about the Heinicke rostering, but he is only going to be around for this season.

1. Atlanta Falcons DL Eddie Goldman

Call me crazy, but this is the one I am struggling to understand. As far as I know, Eddie Goldman has not played in the league in three years. He was one of Ryan Pace's guys when they were with the Chicago Bears. I get that Atlanta needs depth along the defensive line, a position group that Terry Fontenot tried to massively overhaul in the offseason, but I don't understand why he is on the team.

One player of note who's spot he could be occupying in some capacity would be rookie defensive lineman out of Georgia, Zion Logue. While he may be my Dawg, I cannot help myself by saying Goldman's rostering is a bit political. It is not what you are capable of, but who you know. I would love for Goldman to return to his former glory in Chicago, but I have a difficult time seeing that manifest.

Fortunately, this is a position group where nothing is given, outside of Grady Jarrett being a rockstar.