FLOWERY BRANCH — The Atlanta Falcons have reached the NFL mandated 53-man roster by making 11 moves Saturday.
The Falcons have placed cornerbacks Akeem King (foot) and DeMarcus Van Dyke (concussion) on injured reserve. The team also reached an injury settlement with running back Brandon Wilds, while linebacker Tyler Starr will be waived/injured. Cornerback Jalen Collins will be placed on the reserve suspended list. Finally, the team has waived defensive tackle Joey Mbu, wide receiver J.D. McKissic, safety Sharrod Neasman, quarterback Matt Simms, and tight end D.J. Tialavea.
PREVIEW BOX FOR 2016 SEASON:
New faces: C Alex Mack, WR Mohamed Sanu, DE Dwight Freeney, QB Matt Schaub, TE Austin Hooper, S Keanu Neal, LB Courtney Upshaw, DE Derrick Shelby, LB De'Vondre Campbell, LB Deion Jones.
Key losses: LB Justin Durant, WR Roddy White, WR Devin Hester, S William Moore, NT Paul Soliai, WR Leonard Hankerson.
Strengths: Offense is led by strong tandem of playmakers in WR Julio Jones and RB Devonta Freeman, who combined for 3,505 total yards in 2015. Freeman was dual threat with 73 catches and 1,056 yards rushing. Jones shared NFL lead with 136 catches and led league with 1,871 yards receiving.
Weaknesses: Falcons were last in league with only 19 sacks in 2015 and have ranked no higher than 28th since 2012. Vic Beasley had only four sacks last year as rookie and didn't show bigger push in preseason. Depth on defense could be concern early as cornerback Jalen Collins serves four-game suspension (violating performance enhancers policy) and Neal misses at least two games after arthroscopic knee surgery. Neal's backup, Kemal Ishmael, missed last three preseason games with shoulder injury.
Fantasy Players To Watch: Jones, Freeman, Sanu, QB Matt Ryan, RB Tevin Coleman, PK Matt Bryant, TE Jacob Tamme.
Expectations: If Ryan can rebound from subpar 2015, improved offensive line could make offense more productive. Defense improved in Quinn's first season. Better pass rush is needed for similar move up. That also could bring winning record — and return to playoff contention.
Atlanta is also in the process of negotiating an injury settlement with FB Will Ratelle, which will get the Falcons to the 53-man roster limit.
King was selected by the Falcons in the seventh round (249th overall) of the 2015 NFL Draft out of San Jose State. Last season, he played in five games as a reserve cornerback, posting one pass defensed during his rookie season.
Van Dyke was originally drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the third round (81st overall) of the 2011 NFL Draft. Van Dyke has seen action in 25 games with four starts while posting 17 tackles (14 solo) with four passes defensed, and one interception throughout his four year career.
Wilds was signed by the Falcons as a college free agent following the draft out of South Carolina. He led the Gamecocks in rushing with 567 yards in nine games, all starts, with three 100-yard games in 2015.
Starr was selected by the Falcons in the seventh round (255th overall) of the 2014 NFL Draft out of South Dakota. He spent the first 14 weeks of the 2015 season as a member of the Falcons practice squad before being promoted to the 53-man roster for the final three games of the season.
Collins was selected by the Falcons in the second round (42nd overall) of the 2015 NFL Draft out of Louisiana State University. Last season, he played in all 16 games with two starts in 2015, posting 12 tackles and five special teams tackles.
Collins will return from suspension in week five versus the Denver Broncos.
Mbu was originally signed by the Falcons as a college free agent following the 2015 NFL Draft. Mbu played in two games and recorded four tackles (one solo) with one tackle for loss last season.
McKissic played in 49 games for Arkansas State and posted 289 receptions for 2,838 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also returned 54 kickoffs for 1,473 yards and had a 27.3 kickoff return average.
Neasman was signed by the Falcons as a college free agent following the draft out of Florida Atlantic. He was a team captain as a senior in 2015 for the Owls, and he was also named the team’s 2015 Student-Athlete of the Year.
Simms was originally signed by the New York Jets as a college free agent following the 2012 NFL Draft. He spent the 2015 season as a member of the Falcons practice squad.
Tialavea was originally signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars as a college free agent following the 2013 NFL Draft. He spent time on the Falcons and Buffalo Bills practice squad during the 2015 season.
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