Falcons' Terry Fontenot Details 'Challenging' Roster Cutdown

Atlanta Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot recently revealed in an interview that the cutdown to the 53-man roster limit was "challenging."

The expectations for the Atlanta Falcons are high this season, heading into Year 3 under the partnership of general manager Terry Fontenot and Arthur Smith; the hope is the team is at the end of its rebuild and ready to compete. 

After a strong offseason by all accounts, it seems like the Falcons are in a position to live up to expectations of making the playoffs for the first time since 2016. With the 53-man roster set and preparations for the season-opener versus the Carolina Panthers already underway, Fontenot recently reflected on the challenge he dealt with during the roster cutdown in an interview on the team's website. 

"It was challenging," Fontenot said about trimming to the 53-man roster limit. "Now, you look at it and we have 14 players on the practice squad, and we will continue to build up our practice squad (as of Thursday, the unit has reached its 16-player max), but the players on the practice squad, they are going to help us win this year because they are good players in the NFL."

Fontenot even went as far as to say that he felt that all 16 players on the practice squad have the necessary talent to be on the Falcons' 53-man roster if and when they are called upon. This feeling from Fontenot isn't surprising, as many have already had stints on either the Falcons roster or elsewhere. 

Atlanta Falcons Fans Facebook Group

Yet even if not all 16 players make it up to the active roster for the Falcons, Fontenot still sees them as an important part of the team. 

"We look at it like it's a 53(-man) plus 16, but it was a challenging roster to make," Fontenot said. "It was challenging to go through the process of making those cuts. We know that every single one of those players that were here, and also some players that were not here right now ... they're going to help us have a sustained winner this year."

Sustaining success is something Fontenot also touched on during the interview, especially when talking about keeping the team in a good spot financially with the salary cap. 

"You have to have consistency in what you do," Fontenot said. "You always have to think long term. You can never just be a prisoner of the moment and just do whatever you can do for today. You have to think long-term."

Fans will get their first look at this Falcons team on Sunday against the Panthers. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium.