FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. – The Falcons dropped their roster to 53-men at the mandated time on Tuesday afternoon, it will continue morph as we move through the summer and fall. Check Terry Fontenot's track record for proof of that. The Falcons are constantly churning the bottom section of the roster looking for proper fits.
That's why you'll see the word "initial" in front of our 53-man content.
Got that? Good. Public service announcement over.
This isn't a story about that process. It's about the top of the roster and how it can help the Falcons make a realistic push to win the NFC South.
This group is far more talented than in recent seasons, obviously because it was assembled without significant salary-cap constraints. Fontenot and head coach Arthur Smith imported some real defensive talent in free agency, invested heavily to keep the offensive line together and added more versatile skill players who can move around the formation in search of mismatches.
We can all agree that the Falcons are better. While that's an advancement, it's not the answer we really need. Can this roster compete in a wide-open NFC South? Winning the division is paramount in this quest to end a prolonged playoff drought. How do they stack up in a division with the No. 1 overall pick in Carolina, established veterans in a Tom-Brady-less Tampa Bay and Derek Carr now in New Orleans.
There's potential to come out on top of that group. So much of it revolves around Desmond Ridder's performance at quarterback. They'll need vastly improved defensive production, and I'm talking about game-changing plays like sacks and takeaways and steady victories on critical downs.
Bijan Robinson and Calais Campbell and Jessie Bates III will play major roles in this title question, and star power must lead the charge at times. This roster's depth, however, will play an essential role in this 2023 effort and, when looking at upgrades on this roster, depth is a massive one.
Last year, the Falcons couldn't survive an injury plague at a certain position. When the Falcons lost Casey Hayward and A.J. Terrell in consecutive games, Atlanta couldn't maintain solid coverage. Look what we've seen this summer at the same position. Jeff Okudah went down in camp. The Falcons had Tre Flowers, with 41 starts to his credit, ready to step in. Mike Hughes has been dealing with some injury issues, but the Falcons have looked good with Dee Alford in the slot and competent cornerbacks behind him. Does Flowers have as much raw talent as Okudah? Probably not, but he can maintain a solid level of play until the starter returns.
There are some areas where an upgrade could help this group out – swing tackle immediately comes to mind – there's injury protection at most every spot. That will help a veteran defensive line keep guys fresh.
Every game is important in the grand scheme, but winning division games is essential. They were 2-4 in the NFC South, though a win over Tampa Bay came in a Week 18 contest after the Bucs had the division locked up.
How the Falcons fare in those moments will be key. They have to perform better in close contests. They lost nine one-score games, though having veterans from winning programs on the roster now who know how to handle those situations.
It's better equipped to handle adversity, both in games and between them, which should help keep the Falcons in it as the season wears on. The Falcons are better and should be more competitive, but we still don't know exactly how much. We'll find out over the course of a season that will be intriguing as heck to watch play out.
We take a look at the players on the current 53-man roster for the 2023 Atlanta Falcons, sponsored by Veepio.
Atlanta Falcons outside linebacker Lorenzo Carter #0 lines up during the first quarter of the Week 17 Game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois on Sunday, December 31, 2023. (Photo by Jay Bendlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons cornerback Jeff Okudah #1
Atlanta Falcons safety Jessie Bates III #3
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Taylor Heinicke #4 scrambles during the first quarter of the Week 17 Game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois on Sunday, December 31, 2023. (Photo by Shanna Lockwood/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London #5
Atlanta Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo #6
Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson #7
Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts #8
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder #9
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Logan Woodside #11
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge #12
Atlanta Falcons punter Bradley Pinion #13
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Van Jefferson #15
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Scotty Miller #16
Atlanta Falcons outside linebacker Arnold Ebiketie #17
Atlanta Falcons cornerback Dee Alford #20
Atlanta Falcons cornerback Mike Hughes #21
Atlanta Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell #24
Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier #25
Atlanta Falcons safety Richie Grant #27
Atlanta Falcons safety Micah Abernathy #29
Atlanta Falcons cornerback Tre Flowers #33
Atlanta Falcons defensive back Clark Phillips III #34
Atlanta Falcons defensive back DeMarcco Hellams #37
Atlanta Falcons tight end Tucker Fisk #43 runs down field during the second quarter of the Week 17 Game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois on Sunday, December 31, 2023. (Photo by Jay Bendlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons outside linebacker Bud Dupree #48
Atlanta Falcons long snapper Liam McCullough #49
Atlanta Falcons outside linebacker DeAngelo Malone #51
Atlanta Falcons inside linebacker Nate Landman #53
Atlanta Falcons linebacker Kaden Elliss #55
Atlanta Falcons offensive lineman Jovaughn Gwyn #56
Atlanta Falcons linebacker Andre Smith #59 makes a tackle during the second half of the Preseason Game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia on Friday, August 18, 2023. (Photo by Kyle Hess/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Tommy Togiai #62
Atlanta Falcons guard Chris Lindstrom #63
Atlanta Falcons offensive lineman Ryan Neuzil #64
Atlanta Falcons offensive lineman Matthew Bergeron #65
Atlanta Falcons offensive lineman Drew Dalman #67
Atlanta Falcons offensive lineman Kyle Hinton #68
Atlanta Falcons tackle Jake Matthews #70
Atlanta Falcons defensive lineman Kentavius Street #75 celebrates after a fumble recovery during the third quarter of the Week 9 Game against the Minnesota Vikings at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia on Sunday, November 5, 2023. (Photo by Jay Bendlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons tackle Kaleb McGary #76
Atlanta Falcons offensive lineman Storm Norton #77
Atlanta Falcons tight end Jonnu Smith #81
Atlanta Falcons running back Cordarrelle Patterson #84
Atlanta Falcons tight end MyCole Pruitt #85
Atlanta Falcons tight end John FitzPatrick #87
Atlanta Falcons defensive lineman David Onyemata #90 makes a tackle during the third quarter of the Week 17 Game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois on Sunday, December 31, 2023. (Photo by Jay Bendlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons defensive lineman Calais Campbell #93 gets a safety during the Week 9 Game against the Minnesota Vikings at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia on Sunday, November 5, 2023. (Photo by Brandon Magnus/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons defensive lineman Albert Huggins #94
Atlanta Falcons defensive lineman Ta'Quon Graham #95
Atlanta Falcons defensive lineman Zach Harrison #96
Atlanta Falcons defensive lineman Joe Gaziano #99
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