At some point tonight I'll put a summary of the offensive drives led by T.J. Yates from the Dolphins game on the main page. (Quick summary: Yates has some work to do but he wasn't bad at all. But the team around him needs to do a little more to help out - penalties, missed blocks, incorrect routes etc killed several drives. Especially the penalties.) But what did everyone else here think of our Falcons backups, both on offense and defense? Reedy had an impact and stood out from the other fringe receivers. And after that Miami opening drive, the defense as a whole was superb. The Dolphins got their second quarter field goal on a drive that started with them already at the edge of field goal range. If you saw the game, what else grabbed your attention? (And if you missed it, NFL-N will air it one more time Tue morning.)
No takers? Okay then, here are my thoughts on a few of the reserves based on last Friday's game: Before he got banged up, Kimario McFadden had two outstanding plays in special teams coverage and a solid showing in run support on defense. We may be crowded at the safety spots, especially if the team anticipates Zeke Motta being able to go by midseason. But in my eyes, McFadden has shown he's at least good enough to keep around on the practice squad and develop for next year. Mickey Shuler was only a midseason fill-in for last year's practice squad. I had originally expected undrafted rookie Jacob Pedersen to beat him out for the #3 TE spot. But now I think there's a chance the team may keep only two TEs on the roster - and if Shuler keeps going the way he has, he might beat out Bear Pascoe for that second spot. Bernard Reedy clearly stood out among the fringe WR group. I think he makes it as the #5 WR, ahead of Courtney Roby, Jeremy Ebert and the rest. (I'm anticipating that Drew Davis will not be available to start the season. When he arrived for camp, he was not able to put any weight on his foot. He went straight to the PUP list, and I think he'll still be there to start the regular season.) Prince Shembo has been impressive in practice throughout camp, and he was solid again in the preseason opener. I don't know if he can crack the starting lineup, but he should be in for some playing time this year. And if he can flat out win the #3 ILB spot, that might make at least one of Tim Dobbins or Pat Angerer expendable. The guy who stands to benefit most from that scenario may be Jacques Smith, who became the focus of media attention due to some scuffles on the practice field, but who has also made some excellent plays throughout training camp. The way it may play out: if the coaching staff is comfortable with Shembo at ILB, they won't need the career backup Dobbins for depth. Smith would have more long term upside, so if he can hold his own on special teams (which he has so far), he may be the better use of the reserve LB roster spot. Yawin Smallwood showed he's pretty good for run support but that he may be a liability in coverage. I won't say he hurt his chances of making the roster, but that's because I had him pegged for the practice squad long ago. We're simply overcrowded in the LB group, even in spite of the injuries to Weatherspoon and Spruill and the trade of Akeem Dent. At least three former DEs are now OLBs, we drafted four LBs, signed a few more as UDFAs, and added Dobbins and Angerer to the unit that already featured Bartu and Worrilow. Tyler Starr is in the same situation. The kid has a non-stop motor, but he's fighting an uphill battle in a crowded group. He and Smallwood still have time to win spots, but the odds are far more likely that they'll be on the practice squad. Adam Replogle was the last offensive lineman to get into the game. He was solid when he was out there. But I fear that there simply isn't a roster spot for him and that the best he can hope to do is earn a return to the practice squad. I'm hoping to see it happen. It would be nice to have him crack the roster as a reserve lineman next year.
