Falcons Cut ‘NFL’s Fastest Man’ Jeff Badet, Sign ex Dallas Cowboys TE Prospect David Wells: Roster Tracker
The Atlanta Falcons are working to get into the NFL regular season … and are working to cut it down to 53 men. We’re tracking the process here along with rises and falls in NFL Tracker …
AUG 20: TE MOVES The Falcons have signed David Wells and put Ryan Becker on the reserve / injured list in a corresponding change in roster. In 2018, Wells was signed to the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent and was part of the training sessions of the Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots
AUGUST 18: DL SIGNED The Falcons have resigned the great defensive lineman Eli Ankou. Ankou hasn’t played for the Falcons, but he was at Atlanta from the rookie minicamp to the OTA in June. At 6’3 and 325 pounds, Ankou gives the size of the Falcons at the nose guard position in Dean Pees’ 3-4 defense.
He spent his final season with the Dallas Cowboys, playing seven games and a total of five tackles.
AUGUST 17: BAD OUT The Atlanta Falcons exempted Jeff Badet from injury reserves on Tuesday with an injury settlement, a FalconsSI source said.
Badet, who was not pulled in 2018, ran the 40-yard run in 4.27 seconds on Professional Day in Oklahoma in March. He could be the fastest man in the NFL. But now he’s free again.
AUGUST 16: 2 CUT Atlanta has released linebacker George Obinna and offensive lineman Bryce Hargrove.
Obinna was listed as the fourth string on the Falcons depth chart and was credited with two tackles in the preseason game against the Titans on Friday night.
Obinna is the all-time bag handler in the state of Sacramento, where he played the defensive end. He was signed by the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent after the 2020 NFL Draft.
Hargrove signed with the Falcons this year as an undrafted free agent from Pittsburgh. Listed at 6’4 and 320 pounds, Hargrove fought for a squad spot on the guard and was listed as the third team on the right guard behind Chris Lindstrom and Willie Wright.
Next week is also a week of cutbacks for NFL teams, as they must have a maximum of 80 players on the roster by Tuesday, August 24th.
READ MORE: Falcons make 2 cuts, get under the 85 man time limit
AUGUST 15: LOSS AND MOVEMENT Not too many conclusions can be drawn from a game with no first-team players on the offensive or defensive. But for players trying to either get into the roster or move up the depths table, this was an opportunity to move up or down.
We know the obvious losers, because the Falcons have split up with four players: wide receiver J’Mon Moore is dispensed with an injury designation, and defensive tackle John Atkins, cornerback Marcus Murphy and tackle William Sweet are also gone. (Teams must be reduced from 90 to 85 by Tuesday.)
Furthermore? We take a look at the five biggest climbers and fallers of the action on Friday evening.
Riser: Dean Pees, Defensive Coordinator
The casual Falcons fan might not know much about their new defensive coordinator, but those who tuned in on Friday saw an overhauled Atlanta defense that became aggressive after the quarterback under Dean Pees.
Atlanta had four sacks and had only registered 29 sacks for all of 2020. The Falcons surrendered only 244 yards despite receiving no help from the offense.
For a team that finished 29th in overall defense and last in pass defense in 2020, the performance against the Titans on Friday was sensational.
If: Atlanta Offense
While there were no first-team players in action on Friday, the second team put little pressure on the players in front of them. If the reserves showed anything, it was that Atlanta has no depth on offense, especially on the quarterback and offensive line.
Atlanta had a paltry 138 yards overall attack. They only managed 21 yards of passing and had a time of 23:27 possession.
Newcomers: Feleipe Franks, quarterback
Rookie quarterback Feleipe Franks wasn’t good at throwing the ball. He was 2 of 9 passers-by for 16 yards and was released three times. But he set off the Atlanta offensive with his legs.
Frank’s mobility brings an element on the offensive that Matt Ryan and backup AJ McCarron lack. Franks stormed for 76 yards, including a 52-yard scramble which was Atlanta’s biggest game.
Faller: AJ McCarron, quarterback
Franks may not have been good, but McCarron was terrible. He received very little help from his offensive line, but he finished 5 of 12 passes with an interception. Another interception was undone on retry.
McCarron’s quarterback rating was a paltry 14.6, which makes Franks ‘39.6 look good by comparison. The Titans quarterbacks Logan Woodside and Matt Barkley finished with a combined rating of 110.4.
If there are only two spots on the 53-man quarterbacks roster, Matt Ryan will get a spot and Franks may get the job after the first preseason game.
Riser: Jaylinn Hawkins, security
Hawkins was one of the stars of the Atlanta D. The Cal sophomore was a 2020 fourth round election. He wiped out a Titans Drive in the second half with a pass resolution and a sack in the same series.
Riser: Dorian Etheridge, linebacker
Linebacker is possibly the lowest position in Atlanta’s roster, and Etheridge has done his part to ensure he is a part of the future of the Falcons. Etheridge finished with 13 tackles and three tackles for the loss. No other hawk had more than five tackles.
Etheridge was signed by Louisville as an undrafted free agent. He played 46 games over four years with the Cardinals and had 50 tackles with 9.5 tackles for the loss in 2020.
Faller: Willie Beavers, right tackle
With Kaleb McGary spending much of the training camp on the PUP list, Beavers got a chance at the correct starting position. As a capable substitute, Beavers was above his head against the Titans defenses. While he was certainly not alone in his fights in the trenches, he showed that McGary should have no problem reclaiming his starting place if he’s healthy.
Riser: Marlon Davidson, Defensive Line
Davidson struggled as a rookie after entering the second round of the 2020 draft. He admitted to being immature and enjoying his new lifestyle too much.
A refocused Davidson had a good training camp and immediately put pressure on Titan’s quarterback Logan Woodside.
Atlanta has been unable to tackle the line of defense in draft or free agency, so it would be a boon to the Pees and the Falcons to make the most of Davidson.
Faller: Jalen Mayfield, Right Tackle
Mayfield was Atlanta’s third round draft pick, 68th overall, in the April NFL draft. He had a reputation for being a good run blocker, with work that required pass protection.
He was overwhelmed at his first live action as an NFL player. Like Beavers, he was part of a whole unit to fight, but he didn’t put any pressure on McGary (or Beavers) to get a spot.
The Falcons will play against the Dolphins in Miami on Saturday night at 7 a.m. We should see more first-team players in action as Atlanta gets closer to the first game of the season against the Eagles on September 12th.
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