Atlanta is 13th in the waiver order, which means they have a decent chance of snagging a couple of useful players that have been waived by other teams…assuming they want any.
Who might they go after? We’re still learning this coaching staff and front office’s preferences, but there’s a handful of names that spring readily to mind as potential additions. I expect the Falcons to largely prioritize shuffling the roster and adding to their practice squad with their own guys, but in the right light all
three of these players make some sense.
OLB Adisa Isaac
Purely a promise and potential play. Isaac was a 2024 third round pick for the Ravens, but has appeared in just four games thus far owing to injury. He enters the 2026 season at a career crossroads but appears to be healthy, as he played fairly well in preseason for Baltimore but lost the numbers game in a deep Ravens group that includes Trey Hendrickson and Mike Green.
Atlanta’s edge group is perilously thin, and while I fully expect Keshawn Banks to return to the practice squad once healthy, the team surprisingly cut Azeez Ojulari outright and appear ready to mix in bigger players like Brandon Dorlus and Zach Harrison to help them weather life without James Pearce Jr. and Jalon Walker. They could do worse than taking a flyer on a young player with upside that doesn’t need a huge role right away, though the way injuries burnt them badly with Bralen Trice may cause them to hesitate.
T Evan Neal
When you have a great offensive line coach, you’re perhaps a bit more willing to take on projects. And Neal is unquestionably a project.
He’s almost 26 years old and has 27 NFL starts under his belt, but Neal hasn’t been a very good tackle aside from some glimpses of real ability in his rookie season. He’s a massive player who has the toolkit to be a road-grading right tackle but has been unable to put all that talent to work, which is why the Giants were willing to cut a player they invested a first round pick in in the 2022 NFL Draft.
You can talk yourself into talent in this league, and the Falcons do not have anyone on the roster who seems like their likely 2027 starter at right tackle. Getting Neal in the door with Bill Callahan and working on him for a year does not seem like the worst gamble, assuming the team feels they can sneak Ethan Onianwa onto the practice squad.
RB Jaydon Blue
He had a miserable rookie season and seems to have fallen out of favor with the Cowboys coaching staff, which only kept Javontae Williams and Malik Davis on the actual roster. Last year he wasn’t particularly productive and struggled with fumbles, but he was having a more productive summer and was penciled in as the team’s RB2 by many team observers and analysts. Instead, the explosive Texas product is out there for anyone to grab if they want him.
Perhaps a change of scenery would help. Blue was terrific in Texas in 2024, averaging 5.4 yards and scoring eight touchdowns while catching 42 passes for another six touchdowns, but needs refinement in pass protection and help with ball security to reach his potential. The Falcons have a very highly-regarded running backs coach in Michael Pitre who could help the 22-year-old with that, and reuniting him with Longhorns legend Bijan Robinson couldn’t hurt.
He’s likely ticketed for the Dallas practice squad if he clears waivers, but the Falcons could take a flier, especially if they’re planning on carrying Tyler Goodson on the practice squad initially.
