The final game of the 2026 preseason kicks off tomorrow night, and when it’s over, all that lies ahead is the first season of Falcons football for Kevin Stefanski, Ian Cunningham, and the host of new players they’ve brought in.
We’re nearly there, but there’s this one tune-up to clear first. Here’s what you need to know about tomorrow night.
Roster battles to monitorQB3I firmly believe the team is either going to find a way to keep both players or hold on to Strand, who has looked too good for an assured spot on the Falcons practice squad given how quarterback-starved teams across the league are. Maybe that goes out the window if Strand craters this week.
RB3It’s Tyler Goodson’s job. He was the best back on the field in Week 2 of preseason and has considerable special teams value, so this one is wrapped up.
WR5/6Chris Blair and Dylan Drummond were mentioned as two receivers having very good summers by offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, and they both can play special teams and have experience. Vinny Anthony will have one final shot to make his case for a roster spot instead of a practice squad slot, but we’re not yet sure whether the Falcons will keep five or six receivers to begin with.
C2Maybe James Brockermeyer gets sniped off the practice squad because he was well-regarded coming out of college, but he hasn’t been impressive enough this summer for that to seem incredibly likely. Corey Levin has played guard and center and knows Bill Callahan, so as I keep repeating, the job seems to be his.
ILB2I think it’s Kendal Daniels. Christian Harris only made it into the game very late, working behind JD Bertrand, and may not even be a lock for this roster. Daniels, meanwhile, has been wearing the green dot and looking impressive in preseason action and practices, and figures to be lined up next to Divine Deablo in Week 1.
CB2/3Avieon Terrell is back practicing, but he probably has too much ground to make up ahead of Week 1. With Billy Bowman Jr. still out, Mike Hughes is your starter opposite A.J. Terrell and Darnay Holmes should start in the nickel at the beginning of the season. I expect Avieon Terrell to be a starter by the end of the year, though.
What’s new with the Dolphins?Almost everything, and almost everything points toward them being one of the very worst teams in the NFL.
They have a new general manager in Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach in Jeff Hafley, with both men hopping over from Green Bay. They traded away franchise cornerstone Jaylen Waddle to the Broncos and Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Jets, replaced Tua Tagovailoa with Malik Willis, and pulled the Falcons 2021 memorial free agency period out of their hat, signing about 15 guys to one-year deals with none of them exceeding $1.5 million. With a deep draft class, they snagged tackle Kadyn Proctor out of Alabama and cornerback Chris Johnson out of San Diego State in the first round and grabbed linebackers Jacob Rodriguez and Kyle Louis (two Falcoholic draft favorites) and highly-regarded receivers Caleb Douglas and Chris Bell.
The foundation for the next quality Dolphins team is partially poured, but right now I would not put more than a few folding chairs on it, much less a house. Miami has a long road back to relevance, one that will start with picks like Proctor, Johnson, Bell, and Rodriguez hitting.
What to know about FridayWe’ll get a brief look at the starters, including Tua Tagovailoa (who is QB1 for now and still, I think, likely for Week 1) and then the backup brigade in their final opportunity to compete for roles and roster spots. We’ll likely see Cooper Rush for about a quarter and Jack Strand for the rest of the game, if you’re closely monitoring the QB3 battle.
After they rocked the Colts reserves a week ago, I’ll be looking to see how the Falcons starters and reserves fare against a Miami team that has a legitimate argument right out of the gate as the league’s team. We’re not going to overcorrect and start panicking if they scuffle a bit, but I would not view it as a tremendous sign if two teams at their most vanilla look fairly even when one of those teams has a roster as decimated as the Dolphins do.
Following the game, the Falcons will be making cuts over the next couple of days to get compliant with the Sunday evening deadline for a 53 man roster, and then will populate their practice squad. A lot is going to happen in the next few days, so hopefully you’re locked and loaded in terms of sleep and caffeine.
Let us know what you’ll be looking for tomorrow!
Leave a Comment