Atlanta Falcons 53-man roster: 3 biggest surprises

It may be Falcons head coach Arthur Smith’s first year leading an NFL team, but the former Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator clearly doesn’t take preparation lightly. Smith’s attention to detail was praised by Falcons defensive coordinator Dean Pees last week and continues to be on display as Atlanta was the first team to get its roster down to 53 players, over four hours ahead of Tuesday’s deadline.

There were some shocking cuts and interesting inclusions. Let’s take a look at the three biggest surprises on the Falcons’ first 53-man roster for the 2021 season.

Falcons kept three quarterbacks

(Curtis Compton/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)

Following the Falcons' third preseason game, it wasn't clear who was going to win the backup quarterback job. Josh Rosen played well, but Feleipe Franks had more time in Arthur Smith's system. In perhaps the biggest surprise on the team's initial 53-man roster, Atlanta kept both Rosen and Franks. This could very much be temporary, as the Falcons may still be waiting on today's cuts to see if any potential upgrades become available at quarterback. Franks, an undrafted rookie out of Arkansas, struggled to throw the ball consistently in the preseason. However, his elusiveness and ability to scramble are on a different level than that of Rosen and Matt Ryan. As for Rosen, he has the kind of arm talent that scouts rave over and as a former first-round pick, the upside has always been there.

Kendall Sheffield beat out Chris Williamson

Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

Entering training camp, the Falcons had A.J. Terrell and a bunch of question marks at the cornerback position. Chris Williamson stood out early and ran as the team's starting nickel corner throughout the duration of camp. And while Williamson had his lapses in coverage, most people had him making the roster over Kendall Sheffield, whom had played very little. Sheffield was a fourth-round pick out of Ohio State back in 2019, and despite the team investing more in him than Williamson, a 2020 undrafted free agent, many thought Sheffield was outside of the bubble.

Willie Beavers cut

(AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Willie Beavers wasn't thought of as a lock by any means when training camp opened, but after working with the first-team offense over first-round pick Kaleb McGary, it seemed Beavers would at worst make the roster as the swing tackle. With Matt Gono on the injured reserve list, it seemed even more likely Beavers would stick around. Instead, Beavers is out and Jason Spriggs is in for Atlanta. Rookie linemen Drew Dalman and Jalen Mayfield both made the cut, although neither were really in doubt.

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