Former Georgia Tight End John FitzPatrick Makes the Falcons' Roster, Justin Shaffer Does Not
John FitzPatrick was a surprise entrant into this past year's draft class for Georgia. An Atlanta, Georgia, native was overshadowed by teammates Brock Bowers and Darnell Washington during his time in Athens while playing in an overlooked role for Georgia's offense, despite recording just 200 yards on 17 receptions through three seasons.
FitzPatrick was not the flashy pass-catching tight end like Brock Bowers, nor was he a physical mismatch for a defense like Darnell Washington. Instead, "Fitzy" played a similar role to what Charlie Woerner did in his four seasons (2016-19) in Athens.
FitzPatrick did the "dirty work" for Georgia's offense as he allowed his teammates to reap those rewards, like the running backs on run plays and the quarterbacks when asked to help in pass protection; the three-year tight end did it all.
As Charlie Woerner has pointed out, it pays to be a good blocker in the NFL, especially at the tight end position. Not everyone can do what George Kittle, Travis Kelce, and Zach Ertz have done over the years. But, for every Kelce or Kittle, you'll find a strong blocker like Woerner.
With the NFL preseason behind him, sixth-round pick John FitzPatrick has made the Falcons' 53-man roster that will carry into the regular season.
On the other hand, former Bulldog teammate and fellow sixth-round pick Justin Shaffer was cut by the Falcons. Being cut from the 53-man roster is not the end of the world, as Shaffer may get an opportunity to rejoin the Falcons as a member of the team's practice squad.
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