Falcons release four players ahead of Tuesday's 53-man roster deadline

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons released cornerback Bless Austin, offensive lineman Jalen Mayfield, defensive linemen Delontae Scott and Justin Ellis, the team announced Saturday.

Austin was signed earlier this August. He has three years of NFL experience under his belt, playing in 29 career games with 98 tackles, eight pass breakups and two forced fumbles. Austin played in the Falcons' second and third preseason games — a tie with the Cincinnati Bengals and a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers — but he did not record any statistics.

Mayfield has been with the Falcons since joining the league in 2021, played in 16 games as a rookie but then spent last season on injured reserve. He worked a lot at right tackle during training camp, even started there in the Falcons' opening preseason win against the Miami Dolphins, despite his previous experience at left guard. He saw field time in all three exhibition games.

Scott, like Austin, was signed earlier this August. He has two years of professional experience to his name, spending 2021-22 with the Steelers, where he played in three games and was normally on the practice squad. For the Falcons, Scott made a tackle and assisted in a sack against the Bengals and then made three tackles and had two quarterback hits versus his former team.

Ellis is the most experienced player out of this group. He has been in the NFL since 2014, splitting time with the then-Oakland Raiders (2014-18), Baltimore Ravens (2019-21) and New York Giants (2022). He has played in a career 117 games with 182 tackles, three pass breakups and 1.5 sacks. The Falcons signed Ellis back in July. He played in all three preseason games, recording a tackle and half of a sack against the Bengals and a tackle versus the Steelers.

The Falcons must cut their roster down from 90 men to 53 by 4 p.m. Tuesday. This puts Atlanta at 86 players.