The Falcons have a history of finding quality undra

There may not be any roster spots Takkarist McKinley Falcons Jersey , but these guys feel like strong bets for the practice squad."fted free agents. They’ve been the first team to give opportunities to the likes of Brent Grimes, Ryan Schraeder, Brian Poole, and Paul Worrilow over the years, and all of those guys carved out truly significant roles (with varying levels of success) for Atlanta.As the roster has grown in the Dan Quinn era, those additions have been fewer and farther between, and that’s likely to be true again in 2019. The Falcons prioritized making draft picks and stocking veteran depth at key positions, which is going to mean roster spots are scarce for this year’s group of 16 UDFAs. A year ago, just one undrafted free agent made the active roster and stuck, and that was developmental OL Matt Gono, who will be fighting to make the team again in 2019. In addition to Gono, DT Jacob Tuioti-Mariner, QB Kurt Benkert, DT Justin Zimmer, TE Jaeden Graham, and WRs Christian Blake and Devin Gray spent time on Atlanta’s practice squad and are currently part of the 90 man roster. LB Richard Jarvis surprisingly made the roster initially, too, but didn’t stick. You can expect a similar showing this year out of a smaller crop of guys, with maybe 1-2 spots an UDFA could conceivably latch on at, plus practice squad churn that should afford others opportunity.Who belongs on the list of players who could stick around, at least on the practice squad?Let’s take a closer look at a few top candidates in the early going. WR Olamide ZaccheausWide receiver is one of the more wide open positions, at least in terms of practice squad availability. Blake and Gray did fine work last year, most notably Gray, but neither one has a huge leg up on a spot in the here and now, and the roster looks pretty set with Julio Jones, Mohamed Sanu, Calvin Ridley, Justin Hardy, Marcus Green, and Russell Gage as the six available options. That leaves room for Zaccheaus to sneak on to the practice squad and marinate for a year. Zaccheaus is an explosive Elite Takkarist McKinley Jersey , potent athlete who made a habit of getting by defensive backs at Virginia and taking it to the house. He managed three 70-plus yard catch-and-run touchdowns in his final two seasons, put up 93 catches for 1,058 yards and 9 touchdowns in his senior year, and like Green has some positional versatility as a part-time runner early in his college career. He’s not known for his hands or size, but the explosiveness could earn him a look down the line if the Falcons want to stock the cupboard at WR with versatile athletes. C Chandler MillerMiller’s a pivot who moves well and is strong for his size (listed at under 300 pounds), but his primary calling card is a school-record 50 straight games started at center at the University of Tulsa. That wealth of experience gives him a good feel for the position and makes him interesting in Atlanta, where the team figures to rely on the likes of Wes Schweitzer, Adam Gettis, or a street free agent to back up Alex Mack at center. Miller has an outsized chance of sneaking onto the active roster if he shows well, given the team’s ongoing need for a true center to back up Mack. If not, he’s probably worth the development time as Mack’s contract winds down. LB Durrant Miles Miles is a college defensive end who will apparently be converting to linebacker in Atlanta. At Boise State, he was an active and disruptive pass rusher who put up 17 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks in three years as a part-time starter, offers the plus athleticism the Falcons like, and brings a history of solid run defense to the group. The team has a number of one-year contracts and questionable future fits at linbacker right now, so a player like Miles could spend a year developing and step in to the picture at 2020. FS Parker Baldwin There are several things working in Baldwin’s favor here. First, he’s from San Diego State, where Damontae Kazee excelled and caught the Falcons’ eyes, and his overlap with Kazee might mean the rising defender put in a good word for him. Like Kazee, Baldwin was a bit of a ballhawk in college, and he’s also got plus physicality and quality size for the position, making him at least an intriguing developmental option.It’s a slim chance, like everything else on this list, but Baldwin could sneak on because the lack of proven options after Ricardo Allen (who is himself recovering from a major injury) is a cause for concern heading into the year. If he shows well in the spring and summer, I’d feel very confident about his chances of at least sticking on the practice squad, even if that doesn’t happen. CB Jayson Stanley Because Dan Quinn loves his converted wide receivers, of course.Stanley’s entering a very crowded group of cornerbacks and is converting to corner, meaning his best chance is probably at a practice squad spot. It’s worth noting that he’s got the speed and size (6’2”, over 200 pounds) that Dan Quinn likes from the position, and that he played special teams and played special teams quite well in Georgia, both as a blocker and as a gunner. If the Falcons are intent on re-making their secondary in the coming years Game Takkarist McKinley Jersey , Stanley could eventually push for C.J. Goodwin’s old role as the team’s nominal fourth or fifth cornerback and a core special teamer. Who else belongs on this list? After Twitter decided that the Falcons have the NFL’s best WR in Julio Jones, it’s worth taking a closer look at the Falcons’ WR corps as a whole. Does Atlanta possess the league’s best WR group heading into 2019?" />Skip to main contentclockmenumore-arrownoyesHorizontal - WhiteThe Falcoholican Atlanta Falcons communityLog In or Sign UpLog InSign UpFanpostsFanshotsLibraryFalconsOddsAboutMastheadCommunity GuidelinesStubHubMoreAll 322 blogs on Horizontal - WhiteFanposts Fanshots Library FalcFans Podcast on The FalcoholicContact The FalcoholicFalcons StoriesScheduleRosterStatsYahoo Falcons NewsYahoo Falcons Team PageYahoo Falcons ReportYahoo Falcons Depth ChartYahoo Falcons TransactionsYahoo Falcons PhotosOdds About Masthead Community Guidelines StubHub ✕Do the Falcons have the NFL’s best WR corps?New,32commentsAfter Twitter decided that the Falcons have the NFL’s best WR in Julio Jones, it’s worth taking a closer look at the Falcons’ WR corps as a whole. Does Atlanta possess the league’s best WR group heading into 2019?EDTShareTweetShareShareDo the Falcons have the NFL’s best WR corps?Jason Getz-USA TODAY SportsThere’s been a lot of healthy (and not so healthy) debate on Twitter recently about whether or not the Falcons have the NFL’s best WR in Julio Jones. After much deliberation, it was decided by NFL fans that Julio was indeed the best—followed very closely by Houston’s DeAndre Hopkins.With that knowledge in our pocket, what about the claim that the Falcons’ might have the best WR corps in the NFL altogether? SB Nation’s Christian D’Andrea put the Falcons at the top of his WR corps power rankings, and here was his justification:It’s an interesting question to ponder. Many Falcons fans, myself included, felt that Atlanta’s WR corps was certainly up there in terms of power relative to the rest of the league. I don’t think anyone could argue that the Falcons’ receivers aren’t top-5 at worst, particularly when examining the entire depth chart. Keep in mind, this rating only encompasses WR—not TE or RB—though with an ascending Austin Hooper and returning Devonta Freeman, Atlanta is probably up there in that ranking as well.Let’s take a quick look at the projected WR depth chart for the Falcons to see how they stack up against the rest of the NFL.WR1: Julio JonesAs we’ve just established, Julio Jones is the best WR in football. Having the best WR in the league as your WR1 already gives you a significant leg up on the competition.WR2: Calvin RidleyRidley has perhaps the most potential of any WR2 heading into the 2019 season, coming off an electric 2018 that saw him post a ridiculous 10 TDs. The scary part is, Ridley was still adjusting to the game and had his fair share of mistakes. In his second year, Ridley is primed for another excellent season. and Julio as the NFL’s best duo.WR3: Mohamed SanuWith Ridley ascending, that bumps veteran Mohamed Sanu down to the WR3 spot—which is just fine in my eyes. Sanu is a big, imposing, and physical possession receiver with YAC potential. Add to that his consistent production over his tenure in Atlanta and his value as a gadget QB and you have one of the NFL’s best—and most proven—WR3s.WR4: Justin HardyJustin Hardy returned to Atlanta on a one-year deal after his rookie contract expired, making him the expected WR4. Hardy never quite lived up to the hype of the WR with the most catches in NCAA history, but he’s been at worst a solid possession guy with plus ability in the red zone.WR5: Russell GageAt this point is where you start to veer off into the unknown for most WR corps. A Day 3 pick in 2018, Gage was very raw as a receiver coming into the NFL—and there was even the possibility of Gage cross-training at CB during OTAs and training camp. Gage managed to stick as the final WR due to his special teams acumen and athletic upside, but didn’t get many opportunities in 2018. It’s hard to say if he’ll make an impact this season, but Quinn did single Gage out as a player that’s made a significant jump from his rookie year.WR6: Marcus GreenThis year’s final draft selection, Marcus Green was initially called a RB by Dimitroff. That was later changed to WR, but the truth is that Green is more of an all-purpose player. Green is a tremendous athlete, but small, making him a potential weapon in the slot and on gadget plays. He’s also taken plenty of carries out of the backfield, and was an elite returner in college. I’m not sure how much he’ll do on offense this year, but he’s the odds-on favorite to win the return job.The strength of this group is clearly the top-3 Takkarist McKinley Womens Jersey , though Hardy is a reliable if uninspiring WR4 option. Here are the teams that I view as their top competition:Cleveland Browns (OBJ, Jarvis Landry, Antonio Callaway, Rashard Higgins)Los Angeles Rams (Brandin Cooks, Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp, Josh Reynolds)Philadelphia Eagles (Alshon Jeffery, DeSean Jackson, Nelson Agholor, J.J. Arcega-Whiteside)Minnesota Vikings (Adam Thielen, Stefon Diggs, Laquon Treadwell)Cleveland has a lot of star power at the top in OBJ, but Landry is overrated in my opinion and Callaway—while exciting—was incredibly volatile in 2018. Higgins is an upgrade over Hardy, but not enough to tip the scales in the Browns’ favor.The Rams have an impressive four-deep group, but they lack the star power at the top. Cooks is a productive WR1 and is great at what he does, but lacks the versatility of a true star like Jones or OBJ. Woods is among the best WR2s in the league—I’d still give him the edge over Ridley. Kupp is a hyper-productive possession player who is probably an upgrade over Sanu. I’m still not sure how good Josh Reynolds really is, so I’d put him in the “reliable WR4” range similar to Hardy.The Eagles have a potentially excellent four-deep WR corps. While Alshon Jeffery isn’t among the ranks of the elite WR1s, he’s still capable of putting up serious numbers. DeSean Jackson is getting up there in age, but he’s still one of the most dangerous deep receivers in the NFL. The big questions come with Nelson Agholor and rookie J.J. Arcega-Whiteside. Can Agholor get back to his productive ways this year? Can Arcega-Whiteside deliver on his potential in year 1? If so, this group will challenge for the best in the NFL.The Vikings are obviously up there because of the best WR duo in the league. It’s hard to beat the potential of Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs as your top two guys. However, after those two there just isn’t a lot there for Minnesota. Laquon Treadwell has continued to disappoint, and unless someone deeper on the depth chart makes a big leap, this WR corps as a whole can’t make the claim for the top spot.Comparing Atlanta’s receivers with these four teams, I can agree that the Falcons have a strong claim to have the NFL’s best WR corps heading into 2019. What do you think, Falcons fans? Do you agree, or would you give another team that title this season?