The Falcons completed their first round of cuts this weekend, bringing their roster down to 76 players. Below is an updated look at where the offense stands by position.
Quarterback: Matt Ryan, Matt Schaub, Matt Simms
By releasing Sean Renfree, the Falcons have ostensibly found their three quarterbacks for 2016. Simms earned a spot on the 75-man roster with his strong performance in Week 2 of the preseason, when he completed 10 of 13 passes for 136 yards and a touchdown, good for a 135.4 QB rating.
However, it's unclear if Simms will make the 53-man roster: During training camp, head coach Dan Quinn said the decision to carry three quarterbacks is determined by the unique circumstances presented every year.
Running backs: Devonta Freeman, Tevin Coleman, Terron Ward, Brandon Wilds, Cyrus Gray
The departure of Gus Johnson has left Ward, Wilds and Gray to battle for the No. 3 RB job. Ward injured his ankle during training camp and has yet to appear in an exhibition game, but is gradually recovering and may practice soon; Wilds and Gray have both impressed during limited action and have shown they can find success in the outside-zone blocking scheme.
Fullback: Patrick DiMarco
Releasing Will Ratelle has left only DiMarco at FB. This likely won't change at any point in 2016.
Wide Receiver: Julio Jones, Mohamed Sanu, Justin Hardy, Aldrick Robinson, Eric Weems, Nick Williams, J.D. McKissic, Corey Washington, Devin Fuller
It'll be interesting to see how many receivers the Falcons decide to keep. In addition to Jones, Sanu and Hardy, Robinson has proven he can chip in on offense, gaining 202 receiving yards on seven catches during the preseason. Nick Williams has done the same with nine catches for 99 yards.
In the end, many of these spots will be filled based on who can provide the most special teams value. Hardy, Weems, McKissic and Fuller are options at kick/punt returner, a position that's still "by committee," according to Quinn, and as he showed against Miami, Weems remains a skilled gunner.
Offensive Line: Jake Matthews, Andy Levitre, Alex Mack, Chris Chester, Ryan Schraeder, Bryce Harris, Mike Person, Ben Garland, Wes Schweitzer, Tom Compton, Laurence Gibson, Collin Rahrig
The Falcons have a lot of decisions to make at offensive line. Who will win the right guard battle, Chris Chester or Wes Schweitzer? Who will be the swing tackle? Which depth options will be kept, which will be released and which will be developed on the practice squad?
Tight End: Jacob Tamme, Austin Hooper, Levine Toilolo, D.J. Tialavea, Joshua Perkins
The battle for the third TE job could get interesting in the next week or so. Toilolo has been around since 2013 and knows the offense well; Tialavea has excelled as a blocker; and Perkins has made a number of impressive catches, both at practice and in games.
