The Atlanta Falcons have done a good job of upgrading the offensive weapons around quarterback Desmond Ridder. While the jury is still out on whether or not he is going to succeed in the NFL, Atlanta has done its best to make sure he at least has the pieces around him to do so.
The Falcons have used their first-round pick on a skill position player in three consecutive seasons. In 2021, it was tight end Kyle Pitts. Last year it was wide receiver Drake London and this year it was running back Bijan Robinson.
That is an incredible trio for Ridder to grow and develop with as there isn’t a team since the AFL-NFL merger to have three top-10 homegrown players on the roster at the same time. While that trio has garnered a lot of attention, the depth behind them is solid as well.
Veterans Mack Hollins and Scotty Miller were signed to shore things up at wide receiver. Tight end Jonnu Smith was acquired in a trade with the New England Patriots, reuniting with head coach Arthur Smith from their Tennessee Titans days. In the backfield, the team has Tyler Allgeier, who rushed for over 1,000 yards as a rookie, and Caleb Huntley.
So, where does that leave veteran hybrid player Cordarrelle Patterson? In the opinion of Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report, it could mean being on the roster bubble. The veteran jack-of-all-trades could be a cut candidate depending on the salary cap and overall depth.
Having a player that is versatile on the roster is certainly a luxury every team would love to have. Patterson has lined up mostly as a running back in recent years but started his career as a wide receiver and is one of the most electric return men in the NFL.
While Smith has shown the ability to get players involved, it could be hard to manufacture touches for Patterson with how many talented players are on this offense. With the league changing the kickoff rules again, Patterson’s impact in that area could also be negatively affected.
Releasing the former first-round pick would save the Falcons $4.3 million on the salary cap. Depending on how things are shaking out during training camp, that could be money the team needs. Unless an injury occurs to open up playing time, Patterson could be on the move later this summer.
