Falcons Surprisingly Cut Linebacker and Keep Safety

The Atlanta Falcons face a hard deadline is Sunday at 6 p.m. EST. They must trim their roster from 90 players down to 53. The moves started fast. Channing Tindall, Brandon Walton, and Eric Johnson, representing the linebacker, offensive lineman, and defensive tackle positions respectively, were told by the team that they had been released. None of these three were expected to make the final cut from the start of training camp.

Channing Tindall likely had the best shot of the group to stay. He signed to help fill the hole left by Kaden Elliss. But his contract had no guaranteed money. After the NFL Draft, the Falcons picked Kendal Daniels and Harold Perkins Jr. These rookies are already pushing for first-team reps. Tindall played mostly on special teams in his four years. He only took 25 snaps on defense.

Brandon Walton saw plenty of action during camp. He played the second-most snaps on the line against Denver. Yet he was a long shot to make the team. Eric Johnson was only with the club for a week before he got cut. He played 51 games in his last four seasons. He will likely find a spot on a practice squad soon.

While Tindall is gone, the story for safety Natrone Brooks is different. He has been quiet all summer. He switched from cornerback to safety hoping to save his job. The transition has not gone according to plan. He has worked with the reserves while DeMarcco Hellams got the first-team reps. But ESPN’s Marc Raimondi sees a chance for Brooks to stay.

Raimondi included Brooks in his latest 53-man roster prediction. He thinks the team will keep five safeties. “Brooks and Brown can both also play cornerback, adding some versatility to the secondary,” Raimondi wrote. This logic makes some fans scratch their heads. The Falcons already have Jessie Bates and Xavier Watts. Hellams and Sydney Brown look like locks for the other spots.

Why keep five safeties when other spots are thin? The team could use a fourth quarterback or an extra tight end. Brooks is versatile, but is he better than the other options? C.J. Henderson and Clark Phillips III are better corners. Sydney Brown is a standout who the Falcons traded for. There is no way Brown gets cut. Brooks is a gunner on special teams, but his path is narrow.

The moves will keep coming fast before the Sunday deadline. The Falcons need to clear space for the final cuts. Tindall’s release clears a spot for a younger player. But the debate over Brooks shows how hard these decisions are. Versatility is good, but depth at other positions matters more. The team has to decide if a fifth safety is worth the spot.

Keep an eye on the tracker as the clock ticks down. The Falcons are making tough calls to build a better team. Fans in the metro area will know the final list soon. The roster is taking shape, but the final pieces are still up in the air. One thing is clear: the days of the 90-man camp are over.