Back to the Preseason Updates Landing Page.
One of the best and most comprehensive features we offer every year is our Footballguys Preseason Updates. Every week this month, Bob Henry, Jason Wood, Clayton Gray, and their team of Footballguys Staffers cover every player that matters from every NFL team. It's 32-plus pages of some of the most comprehensive coverage you'll find. It's probably worth the Footballguys Premium Subscription by itself.
Updates from Week 4
Josh Kendall of The Athletic provided this week's 53-man roster projection. Right tackle Kaleb McGary's injury was the most significant news of the week. Coach Raheem Morris said the expectation is that McGary will miss "significant time". Only two players are allowed to receive the "IR with return" designation. Swing tackle Storm Norton had ankle surgery earlier in the week, putting the Falcons at their third-string right tackle, Elijah Wilkerson, to start the season. The Falcons sat 41 players for their final preseason game against Dallas and have held the starters out the entire preseason. There is concern that a similar approach contributed to a flat performance in Week 1 of the 2024 season. The team held two open practices during the week. Kicker Younghoe Koo has struggled in camp and missed a 51-yarder in the game. AtlantaFalcons.com's Will McFadden created a cool feature, a comprehensive guide to fantasy football questions regarding the team.
Preseason Updates: Quarterbacks
Michael Penix Jr.'s pass completion percentage in 11-on-11 work has been a concern, though Penix had an excellent scrimmage against the Titans two weeks ago, rising to the moment. Kirk Cousins has been consistently excellent but is locked into the backup role. Quarterback coach T.J. Yates on Cousins: "Kirk has been an absolute pro in every part of the process so far in how much he helps Mike and helps all the other quarterbacks in the room, and at the same time getting himself prepared to go out there and perform. It is not an easy task for him to do, and it's foreign to him. But he's handling everything like a pro, and we're lucky to have him in the room." ESPN's Marc Raimondi mentioned the team is very open to moving Cousins should a starting job open, but the acquiring team would need to pick up a significant portion of his contract. Coach Morris's history with Cousins goes back to Cousins's rookie year in 2012, when they spent three years together in Washington while Morris was the defensive backs coach. Morris said he has no concerns about a potential distraction: "He's not that, and those are the things that I was really confident in when I knew he could be here and do whatever needs to get done." Cousins said his health feels better than it ever has.
Preseason Updates: Running Backs
Offensive coordinator Zac Robinson discussed his star running back Bijan Robinson: "We've definitely pushed the boundaries with what ‘B' can do in terms of lining up in different locations, different things that we're trying to activate with him. But that's been kind of the No. 1 goal since we got back in the offseason." McFadden speculates that Tyler Allgeier could hold standalone value, given how much the organization respects him. Kendall and McFadden both have Carlos Washington Jr.. making the team, though Washington Jr. missed significant time this preseason with an injury. Raimondi has rookie Nathan Carter in the spot. While a third running back could make the team, if one of the two lead backs missed time, the other would shift into a Bellcow role.
