This one stuns me, as he's the largest defensive run-stuffer on the roster. But the team announced today that they have released lineman Anthony Rush. There should be an opening on the practice squad, as Caleb Huntley has joined the regular roster with Cordarelle Patterson going on IR. The team also dropped Khyiris Tonga from the squad and added defensive lineman Jaleel Johnson. With that opening available, I expect to see Rush signed to the practice squad soon, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him back on the roster later in the season. Marlon Davidson is also eligible to return from IR whenever he's physically ready to return to practice. He had knee surgery a week into preseason and was expected to be out of action for four to six weeks. Once the team designates him to return, he'll have three weeks where he's able to practice before the team has to decide whether to activate him or put him on season-ending IR. As for our newest prospect, Jaleel Johnson lists at 6-3, 316. He was drafted in the 4th round in 2017 by the Vikings and played out his four year contract with them. The odd thing is he started every game his final year, but Minnesota didn't resign him when he hit free agency. Houston signed him to a cheap one-year deal for 2021, but he didn't make their roster. New Orleans then signed him to their practice squad, but the Texans grabbed him back, signing him to the roster. The Saints signed him to a cheap free agency deal for 2022, but he didn't make their roster. Now he's on our practice squad. I don't know why the other teams didn't keep him. My immediate reaction is that people see "316 pound defensive tackle" and immediately try to put the guy into a two-gap role. That's not going to work with him. He's a single-gap attacker rather than a two-gap anchor. I guess it always comes down to system fit. But if Dean Pees can figure out how to make it work with him, he's the type of experienced backup that I'm happy to see coming on board. He also has some pass rush skills - another reason not to throw him into two-gap assignments. The big question mark is that Pees has generally been more in the traditional two-gap camp as far as 3-4 systems go, so I don't know if he's going to try to push Johnson as a NT. I'm hoping that if he does put Johnson in the middle, he'd be on the gap as a 1-tech.
I find it interesting that both Rush and Tonga were let go at the same time. My understanding was that the Vikings signed him to their 53 man roster, indicating that they essentially picked him up off the Falcons' practice squad, rather than Atlanta outright releasing him. But I may have that wrong, and defer to you. The timing is odd to me, that Atlanta releases two NFL-tested run-stuffing bodies at the same time.
Ah, that makes more sense now. Thanks! The transaction for Tonga simply said his practice squad contract had been terminated, not that he had been released. Minnesota signing him to the roster would automatically terminate his practice squad contract. So it wasn't a case of Atlanta ditching him. Falcons dropping Anthony Rush still doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. Maybe if Marlon Davidson was coming off of IR right now, okay, or if the team signed a veteran NT to the roster (Johnson is simply replacing Tonga on the practice squad), but they're dropping their big man without having anyone to replace him. And the DL is already the part of the roster most in need of extra help. This seems like a step in the wrong direction.
I always find this interesting, when teams make a move that clearly seems like a bad idea, ends up being a bad idea, and we're all left here thinking, "What did they see that we didn't?". Hoping it works out for the Falcons. Bears did the same thing, depleting themselves of DL that could stop the run. Now they can't stop the run. Go figure.
That hits it quite well. We never know what our team braintrusts know from the inside, so we're expected to assume that there is a plan, the plan is a GOOD plan, and that we should trust the plan and trust the coaching staff and front office to implement that plan. And then we end up with train wrecks, a new regime comes in, and we're expected to trust the NEW plan. Lather, rinse, repeat. In this particular case, I get it for the most part. The coaches are going to shuffle the bottom of the roster and the practice squad all season long. They've even told us to expect it. Anthony Rush came up from the practice squad in midseason last year, so it's not like they're releasing Warren Sapp. But right now the 3-4 line group is Grady Jarrett and four prospects. It's the weakest point on a defense that gave up over 400 yards to Cleveland last weekend. They've needed help ever since they lost Vincent Taylor to injury and Eddie Goldman to retirement before the start of preseason. But the plan appears to be to push the prospects through their growing pains. That's a lot of faith to put into guys like Abdullah Anderson, Matt Dickerson and undrafted rookie Timmy Horne.
