4 surprise cut candidates for the Atlanta Falcons

It’s never fun predicting job losses, but not everyone can make the team.

The first task for this new Atlanta Falcons staff is ensuring they have the right guys in the building to hit the ground running. Making these decisions will be challenging, and sometimes fans can be caught off guard by the names they see hitting the waiver wire.

Here’s my attempt at lessening those future blows by looking at which players could be surprise cut candidates for the team in 2024.

Avery Williams, Kick and Punt Returner/Running Back

Many are excited for the returner’s comeback, and rightfully so. When we last saw Avery Williams, he led the NFL with 16.2 yards per punt return (minimum 15 attempts). However, Williams is coming off an ACL injury that kept him sidelined for the entirety of the 2023 season.

We’re all hoping he can come back 100%, but there’s no guarantee the player will be able to return to their previous level of athleticism. The Falcons haven’t been complacent with the return positions either, signing two capable return men in Ray-Ray McCloud and Rondale Moore.

The new kickoff rules have made returners more valuable, and Williams is currently in line for both a kickoff and punt return role, but he will have to show that he’s worth filling up a roster spot for those 5-8 plays per game. With Zac Robinson already talking about making Bijan Robinson the offense’s focal point and Tyler Allgeier firmly holding down the spot behind, opportunities in the backfield will be slim or nonexistent for Williams.

Cutting Williams would save the team $1,055,000, an amount that doesn’t make him a financial liability by any means if he has a small role, but is a nice chunk of change that could go elsewhere.

KhaDarel Hodge, Wide Receiver/Special Teams Ace

Another surprise cut that would impact special teams would be KhaDarel Hodge. The Prairie View A&M alum has been the Falcons fourth or fifth receiver for a few years now, but he makes his most significant contribution on special teams, where he has been a stud.

If Hodge wants to secure his roster spot for the third year in a row, he’ll have to continue his high level of play there. The wide receiver room isn’t a finished product, but with some added speed (Rondale Moore) and youth (Casey Washington), the deeper spots on this roster will take more work to earn than they have in years past.

Atlanta did elect to bring Hodge back, a sign that the team still likes what he has to offer, but that deal only contained a guaranteed signing bonus of $167,500, allowing the team to cut the player and gain $985,000 in cap space. That’s a small figure by league standards, but the structure shows that the Falcons are in no way on the hook financially if they decide it’s time to move on because other players emerge.

Ta’Quon Graham, Interior Defensive Lineman

The defensive line room is more crowded than ever, setting it up to be one of the more active groups when it comes time to trim down the roster. Ta’Quon Graham hopes to be one of those who doesn’t hear his name called during that time, but there is a chance he could be on the list. Graham no longer has the benefit of being a rookie; every snap in practice will count as he looks to crack a competitive rotation.

Nearly half of the Falcons 2021 draft class is gone, and Graham will have to impress a new defensive staff if he hopes to avoid the fate of his former peers. Graham was serviceable in 2023 after returning from an MCL injury that ended his 2022 season prematurely, but growth is a must for a player who needs to be more than serviceable in 2024. Cutting Graham would save $1,055,000, which, as we mentioned earlier, could come in handy down the road for the team.

Lorenzo Carter, Outside Linebacker

Lorenzo Carter would easily be the biggest surprise cut out of all the names here, and that’s because the outside linebacker room is easily one of the weakest groups on the roster. However, this is the “surprise cuts” list, and there is at least a small and narrow path to this being a realistic outcome. That outcome relies on others in the room stepping up and exceeding expectations, which would be welcomed with open arms by the team and fans alike.

This would mean players like Bralen Trice, DeAngelo Malone, and Bradlee Anae all stepped up during camp and showed the staff they can’t afford to sit them for Carter, a player who is a known quantity for the Falcons. Unlike the others mentioned on this list, there are some considerable savings of $3.75 million if the team moves on from Carter. That is an amount high enough to sign most remaining free agents that could make an impact for the team *cough* Ahkello Witherspoon *cough*.

Don’t fret over any of the names you see listed here, as the expectation is that all of them will make the team. However, football is unpredictable; every season, one or two names on the list of cuts always serve to catch fans by surprise.

Remember, these cuts primarily reflect that the Falcons improved considerably over the offseason, something every fan hopes happens. So trust the process, and give this staff a fair shake before criticizing any of the moves that occur throughout training camp.