In excellent news, the Falcons announced Monday afternoon that they have activated Jawaan Taylor to return off the PUP list. The Falcons also have signed defensive end Cameron Sample, and in corresponding moves, Atlanta has waived long snapper Philip Florenzo and waived/injured offensive lineman Jack Nelson.
Outside of the quarterback spot, RT is one of the biggest questions on the roster right now — and Taylor’s activation from PUP helps. After Kaleb McGary’s surprise retirement this offseason, Taylor is hoped
to be the answer at right tackle, and now that he’s cleared to practice, we’ll get to see how realistic that hope is.
The Cameron Sample signing gives the Falcons some depth with run-stopping prowess. There is no 1 for 1 replacement for second-year defender Jalon Walker, or for James Pearce Jr. if he misses significant time (I expect at least six games, and I expect we will get a suspension confirmed before roster cuts). But Sample, a Snellville, Ga. native, does have some upside, including 26 quarterback hits, eight tackles for loss, and seven sacks for the Bengals over the past four seasons.
No offense to Florenzo and Nelson, but no big shock on those waivers. We’ll see how they work Taylor into practice the next couple of days, and I expect we’ll get to see both Taylor (unless they’re still taking precautions with the injury that landed him on PUP) and Sample in preseason action this weekend.
