The Falcoholic
The Falcons made the signing of kicker Zane Gonzalez official, which is not a surprise. The corresponding cut, however, is indeed a surprise.
That would be the release of Ta’Quon Graham, one of only two players left on the roster from a 2021 draft class that now looks even rougher. Graham was a fifth round pick who has been a reliable rotational run stopper all this time, which is hardly Grady Jarrett but is very solid value for a fifth rounder in today’s NFL. But Graham returned to a suddenly deep defensive line rotation from an injury that cost him all but two games thus far and scuffled a little bit, and that’s all it took to get the axe when the Falcons needed to open a roster spot.
It’s a surprise because outside of a couple of bad stretches here and there over the years, Graham has always been a solid player. In 2022 and 2023 in particular, he was a consistent 15-20 snap per game player who regularly made an impact against the run, and he put together a 2022 where he actually was a useful pass rusher who delivered eight quarterback hits in limited opportunities. Those chances had dwindled in 2024 and he was injured in 2025, as mentioned, and the coaching staff had shifted multiple times from the group that brought Graham to Atlanta.
That especially matters because of who has filled in well in his absence. A healthy LaCale London has been a terrific rotational piece, and Panthers practice squad poachee Sam Roberts has similarly been an impactful early down defender. In a fairly crowded room, Graham would have needed to hit the ground running to get playing time, and he wasn’t really able to do that.
This cut leaves Kyle Pitts as the final player left on Atlanta’s roster from the 2021 draft, and he may or may not be here past the 2025 season. Second round pick Richie Grant exited in the offseason, third rounder Jalen Mayfield was unceremoniously cut in year two, fourth round cornerback Darren Hall was cut post-2022, Drew Dalman signed a big money deal with the Bears this spring, Ade Ogundeji didn’t made it to 2023, Avery Williams was let go after last season, and receiver and hype man Frank Darby was gone post-2023. That’s a long list of players from Terry Fontenot’s first draft class who did not make it past a first contract with Atlanta.
All that said, I don’t think Graham will need to wait long to land a new home, assuming (as I do) that he’s probably unwilling to land on the practice squad when a real roster spot may be waiting elsewhere. We’ll see soon enough, but I genuinely wish him well wherever he goes.
As for Gonzalez, let’s hope he’s at least the answer for the team’s kicking woes for the rest of the 2025 season.
