On Monday morning the Atlanta Falcons announced they had signed cornerback Bless Austin. They had until 4 p.m. later that day to announce a corresponding roster move to keep their roster at 90 men.
They ended up making not one, but two cuts involving wide receivers including fan-favorite Frank Darby and Chris Blair. Darby was drafted by the Falcons in the sixth-round of the 2021 NFL Draft, general manager Terry Fontenot’s first.
While his production as a Falcons’ player has been limited to a pair of catches and special teams, his presence at training camp and the practice field is always felt. Darby is credited by his teammates as always having energy and can constantly be seen dancing waiting for his reps at practice.
However, this likely won’t be the end for Darby as a Falcon. He picked up a slight injury in the win over the Miami Dolphins on Friday night. Head coach Arthur Smith hinted on Sunday that with players not being able to practice for days at a time, they may make roster moves to sustain their 90-man roster.
It would surprise no one if Darby was back in a Falcons uniform next week. He’s on the bubble for the 53-man roster once final cuts are made, but the impression has always been he’d at least be welcome on the 16-man practice squad during the season.
To illustrate the point, Blair has been cut, signed, and cut again in the last two weeks. A cut may be only temporary.
The Atlanta Falcons are next in action on Friday night against the Cincinnati Bengals. After sitting most of the first team against the Dolphins last week, Smith reiterated the ones would see action against the Bengals on Friday.
