Titans at Falcons Preview: Roster Battles

Friday night marks Arthur Smith's head coaching debut for the Atlanta Falcons. The rookie boss has had an excellent preseason in the sense that he's been open and forthcoming in his press conferences, and he's been universally praised by veterans and rookies alike for his transparency and energy.

Tonight, in preseason Game 1, a chance to see it all work on the field.

READ MORE: Falcons vs. Titans How to Watch

Tonight Smith and his Falcons get to face off against his former team, the Tennessee Titans. Smith had two successful years as the Titans offensive coordinator. The Titans offense finished third in the NFL in 2020 and 12th in 2019, a marked improvement from 25th in 2018 before Smith was hired.

Smith facing his former team isn't the only big storyline for tonight's action. Long-time Atlanta Falcons receiver Julio Jones was traded to the Titans in the offseason. Jones had been the consummate professional in his 10 season with Atlanta, but pushed for a move after three consecutive losing seasons.

Unfortunately for fans itching to get their first look at the future Hall-of-Famer, Jones isn't likely to play much if at all on Friday. His work load has been extremely limited at camp.

It seems Titans could be playing with a relative skeleton crew tonight with several stars who missed practice on Wednesday, including Jones, receiver A.J. Brown, and former Georgia Bulldog Ben Jones.

No A.J. Brown today. He's riding the stationary bike. Julio Jones has emerged from the building and is on the side talking to Jon Robinson. No Elijah Molden, Dane Cruikshank, Nate Davis or Ben Jones for the #Titans.
— TURRON DAVENPORT (@TDavenport_NFL) August 11, 2021

Fans should have more luck getting to see the Falcons main offseason acquisition. Tight end Kyle Pitts is the highest-drafted tight end in the history of the NFL. He's been lining up in multiple positions during training camp, and he should see a decent amount of action tonight as the Falcons get him ready for the season.

READ MORE: Kyle Pitts, 'He's a Man'

Smith said on Wednesday that the preseason game was extremely important for his ability to give players a fair evaluation.

“It's a big part of it for me,'' Smith said of preseason games. "We're not tackling live right now. It’ll be the first time a lot of these guys have tackled in a long time."

While veterans like Matt Ryan, Grady Jarrett, and Calvin Ridley likely won't see extended action in tonight's game, there are several key battles still taking place throughout the Falcons roster. Here are several roster battles to watch.

READ MORE: Atlanta Falcons Depth Chart

Quarterback:

Ryan has the top spot locked down. There is a battle to be his backup between veteran A.J. McCarron and rookie Feleipe Franks. While neither quarterback has put much pressure on Ryan, McCarron has been more consistent with his throws while Franks adds a dimension of size and mobility lacking at the quarterback position for Atlanta.

Running Back:

Mike Davis was signed from the Carolina Panthers to be the main running back this season, but keep an eye on Cordarrelle Patterson. Patterson was signed as an All-Pro kick return man, but the former receiver is getting a look at running back in training camp. At 6-2 and 220 pounds, he's done a decent Derrick Henry impersonation in August.

Qadree Ollison has looked good at camp, but he's been limited in action because of a slight injury opening the door for rookie Javian Hawkins and newly-signed D'Onta Foreman. Caleb Huntley should also see some action.

Wide Receiver:

Ridley and Russell Gage are the clear top two as of now, but there is a fierce battle happening behind them. Olamide Zaccheaus looks a lock to make the rotation. Rookie Frank Darby from Arizona State has had flashes, but isn't guaranteed a spot.

Tajae Sharpe looked good in Saturday's open practice Mercedes-Benz. At 6-4 and 200 pounds, Sharpe brings a more physical presence to the receiver room. Chris Rowland and Austin Trammell have both worked as slot receivers and return men, but there may only be room for one of them on the 53 man roster. Trammell has fallen behind a bit this week because of injury.

Tight End:

All eyes will be on Pitts and for good reason. The 6-6 and 245-pound tight end glides when he's on the field. He has an enormous catch radius, receiver speed, and outstanding hands. Smith has been careful to keep the expectations in check for Pitts, but the talent is clearly there.

Hayden Hurst has had a terrific preseason. In Smith's two-tight end offense, Hurst slimmed down to focus on his agility to be a more effective receiver and it's paid off in camp thus far.

READ MORE: Hayden Hurst gets Slim

Lee Smith was brought in to do the dirty work. Pitts isn't blocker; Hurst is being asked to do less. Smith's assignment is so clear that he warms up with the offensive linemen during individual drills.

Offensive Line:

Willie Beavers is the surprise addition to the first-team on the depth chart. Presumed starting right tackle Kaleb McGary is working his way back from injury. Rookie Drew Dalman has been getting work at both center and guard. Fellow rookie Jalen Mayfield has been seeing a lot of action at right tackle while McGary was missing from camp recovering from injury.

Defensive Line:

The scheme is different, but the names are the same. Grady Jarrett is the star, and he likely won't see much action tonight.

It's not quite a make-or-break season for second-year defensive lineman Marlon Davidson, but he was a disappointment in 2020. He's been getting positive reviews from teammates, and new defensive coordinator Dean Pees' 3-4 may suit him perfectly as a jumbo defensive end.

Linebacker:

Deion Jones and Foye Oluokun have had a great camp. The 3-4 that Pees runs will give more freedom to the linebackers, which will especially benefit the speedy Jones.

Mykal Walker had an excellent rookie season. He added 15 pounds of muscle during the offseason to bulk up to 230 pounds. He has been one of the best players on defense throughout the course of camp.

While it's not a make-or-break year for Davidson, it is for Dante Fowler. Fowler signed a three-year deal prior to the 2020 season, but he flopped along with the Falcons. He agreed to an adjusted contract that saw him take a pay cut and lop off his 2022 season. Fowler is a free agent after this year, and if he wants another big contract he has to massively improve on the 23 tackles and three sacks he posted in 2020.

Defensive Backs:

While there aren't many new faces on the front seven, the secondary needed name tags in the first team meeting. Friday marks the first chance Falcons fans will get to see of free agents Duron Harmon and Erik Harris, signed from the Lions and Raiders, respectively.

There's a lot of hope placed on rookie safety Richie Grant. Grant has gotten some work with the first team at camp and will likely push Harris for a starting spot throughout the season.

Second-year cornerback A.J. Terrell is the only sure thing in the secondary. He had a great rookie campaign and has been the best player in the secondary by some margin so far in 2021.

Fabian Moreau is listed ahead of Isaiah Oliver for the other cornerback spot. Moreau was brought in from Washington, and he has worked his way to top the depth chart quickly.

Chris Williamson has had a good camp, he's listed behind Terrell and should see plenty of action tonight.

Special Teams:

Patterson may be limited in kick-return duties tonight. He's an All-Pro with little to prove, but rookie Avery Williams should get his first live action as a punt returner. The Falcons return game was dreadful in 2020. Patterson will help, and Williams led the NCAA in punt returns in 2020.

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