Falcons Camp — Sep 3: Harrison Waived Monday, Back Wednesday

Atlanta claimed three players on Monday and waived a defensive lineman it expected to start to do it — then got him back two days later. The claims, per Will McFadden at the team's site: linebacker Yasir Abdullah from Jacksonville, a 2023 fifth-rounder with 436 special-teams snaps over the last two seasons; edge rusher Jared Ivey from Seattle, an undrafted second-year player out of Ole Miss who grew up in Georgia and started his college career at Georgia Tech; and tackle Cameron Williams from Philadelphia, six-five, three-17, a 2025 sixth-rounder. The price, per Charean Williams at Pro Football Talk: defensive backs Jammie Robinson and Natrone Brooks waived, and defensive lineman Zach Harrison — a 2023 third-round pick coming off four and a half sacks in seven games, described by Darius Hayes at Falcon Report as arguably the team's best interior defensive lineman last season, and by Matt Urben at Falcons Wire as expected to start. Harrison passed through waivers with no claim, and on Wednesday Atlanta signed him to the practice squad, per Hayes and Urben. Cunningham, the general manager, on Wednesday, per Jackson Loschko at Gridiron Heroics: "A gut punch. He's a pro's pro. He's a great guy. We got him back on practice squad, happy to get him back." Defensive line coach Nate Ollie, per Hayes: "He does all the right things. You just want him to stay healthy." He can be elevated three times without a permanent promotion. Our last episode did not mention him at all. That arc — from the 53 to waivers to the practice squad in three days — is the week.

The same Monday reshaped the linebacker room we described as a five-man group that did not need a loser. JD Bertrand went to injured reserve with a return designation on Monday evening, out a minimum of four games with an injury the team did not disclose, per McFadden and Charean Williams, and Josh Woods was signed to the 53 in his place — a seven-year special-teamer who played 82 percent of the possible special-teams snaps in the 12 games he was active last season, per McFadden. So the edge room we told you was Samson Ebukam, Cameron Thomas and Za'Darius Smith now carries Abdullah and Ivey too, on a defense already without Jalon Walker, whose August knee injury was reported as season-ending, and James Pearce Jr. for eight games.

The practice squad is Atlanta's own camp roster, churned. 15 on Monday, per Scott Kennedy at Falcon Report, every one of them off the camp roster — Kevin Stefanski had said he hoped to keep "a bunch of guys on our practice squad," and did. Running back Tyler Goodson and cornerback Darnay Holmes, both of whom we listed among the released, came straight back. Tight end Jack Velling, waived two days after his preseason touchdown, came back. Running backs Goodson and Cash Jones give the squad a backfield pair behind a two-man active room, per Kennedy. Then Tuesday: offensive lineman Josh Thompson, an undrafted rookie from Kansas City's camp by way of LSU, per Hayes, filling the spot Woods vacated. Then Wednesday: Harrison, defensive end Khalid Kareem — two prior seasons here, mostly on this squad — and Robinson, back at safety, signed; defensive end Cameron Sample and cornerback Cobee Bryant released, per Hayes and Urben. 16 as of Wednesday, by the team's announcements. Dave Choate at The Falcoholic expects more churn before Week 1.

No reporting this week places an Atlanta cut on another team's waiver claim. Receiver Casey Washington signed to Carolina's practice squad Monday, per Darin Gantt at the Panthers' site; tackle Jack Nelson to Minnesota's on Tuesday, per Craig Peters at the Vikings' site. Clark Phillips III is in Chicago because of Sunday's trade for Gervon Dexter Sr., which we told you was pending a physical; Dexter is on the initial 53 Atlanta announced Sunday, per Urben, and the trade is done. Offensive lineman Wanya Morris, cut Sunday three months after Atlanta traded a sixth-round pick for him, has no reported destination. The Sunday ledger we gave you — 11 vested veterans released, 21 waived, Beaux Collins to injured reserve with a return designation — matches the team's own release exactly.

Then the quarterback. Cunningham held the roster availability at Flowery Branch on Wednesday, and Josh Alper at Pro Football Talk has the exchange: asked whether a Week 1 choice had been made between Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa, "not yet." "Ultimately, when the coaches are ready, when the players are ready, we will make that decision." On the build, per the Associated Press: "It's four quarterbacks and two running backs. You have to sacrifice at some position." He called it "a little bit of an insurance policy" and "a little bit of the roster gymnastics." On Penix's knee, per Urben: "For him to be where he's at, it shows because he's been working his tail off to get to this point." And Hayes reports the team wants more from Penix in full-speed practice, since he was not cleared for 11-on-11 work until late in camp. Our last episode carried Ian Rapoport's line that the job is Penix's for the taking. The building still had not said so on Wednesday, 11 days out.

Back in July we previewed Atlanta as a bet against a knee — the best roster on paper in the South, with the season's whole range hanging on whether Penix's surgically repaired knee cleared in camp, and a bridge scenario ready if it didn't. The floor under it: eight and nine, an offense that ranked 20-fourth in expected points added per play — the measure of how much each snap moved the expected score — and a defense fifteenth, with 57 sacks, second in the league. The knee cleared. Cut day arrived with the bet unsettled. This week spent a lineman it expected to start to add depth on the edge, where Walker and Pearce were already gone, kept four quarterbacks as what Cunningham called insurance, and gave the same answer to the same question. The July framing is exactly as open as it was Sunday. The roster around it is deeper on the edge, and thinner at linebacker.

Next is the Steelers, Sunday, September 13, at Acrisure Stadium. What to watch: whether a starting quarterback is named, and whether Atlanta elevates Harrison for the opener. The Recap follows the game.

_Data via nflverse._