FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Quarterbacks Michael Penix Jr. and Kirk Cousins lead a long list of players who are not expected to play this Friday in the Falcons' final preseason game on the road against the Dallas Cowboys. Reading between the lines, one can infer that this decision also means offensive starters and defensive veterans won't see the field Friday, either.
The expectation should be to see the same conglomerate of Falcons players play in Dallas as have been seen in the previous two preseason games to this point.
"This is the make-the-roster game," head coach Raheem Morris said Monday. "This is where guys solidify themselves on the 53-man roster, or that practice squad ... trying to finalize who you keep."
With that in mind, there are a number of players dealing with injuries — injuries that could dictate what that 53-man roster looks like. Here is all of the information Morris shared regarding those players' statuses as the final preseason game approaches.
EDGE Jalon Walker (groin): Walker has been held back at previous points in training camp due to a hamstring injury. He was full-go last week during joint practices with Tennessee, but on the last play of the second day of work, Walker tweaked his groin. The Falcons held him out of Friday's game, and are planning on holding him out of Monday's practice, too. Morris said Atlanta will operate with "an abundance of caution" when it comes to Walker this week, and will look to ramp him back up Wednesday to work in some team, 11-on-11 periods in practice.
"Now, it's really about getting him ready for the season," Morris said. "I'm not really worried about it, but really you just don't want it to linger."
QB Emory Jones (concussion protocol): The Falcons waived Jones Monday morning after placing him in the league's concussion protocol. Jones took a hit in the fourth quarter of Friday's preseason game. He walked off the field under his own power, went into the blue medical tent and emerged a few minutes later, walking directly to the locker room without a helmet. Easton Stick finished the game.
With Penix and Cousins not expected to play Friday, the Falcons needed a quarterback to fill Jones' reps. They signed Ben DiNucci to be that quarterback.
OL Storm Norton (lower body): The Falcons have been without their backup offensive tackle for nearly all of training camp and the preseason. Last Wednesday, Morris said he did not have much of a timeline for Norton's return. By Monday, Morris could confirm that return would not be this week.
"He is still dealing with it," Morris said of Norton's injury. "We will see where that goes to see what will happen with Storm."
CB Clark Phillips III (rib): Phillips has missed significant time — and two preseason games — with a rib injury sustained in a Falcons' indoor practice nearly three weeks ago. Morris said he does not believe Phillips will be full-go this week. The head coach said he may do a little work in practice later this week, but not to the extent of getting in on team work or the final preseason game.
RB Carlos Washington Jr. (hamstring): Morris had much of the same update to give about Washington as he did Phillips: He doesn't think he will be available and if he is it'll be small, side work during practice later this week.
WR Darnell Mooney (shoulder): Mooney has been out of commission since suffering a shoulder injury in the very first training camp practice in July. Morris said then it would be "a few weeks" for Mooney as he healed. We are currently on the backend of those few weeks, but Morris said Mooney is improving well and he is pleased with where he is in his recovery. He also added Mooney hasn't "had any setbacks," either. What does this mean for a potential Mooney return by Week 1? Unsure, but at least things are trending in the right direction, per Morris.
WR Jamal Agnew (oblique): Morris said the Falcons were hopeful and excited about the possibility of Agnew being the team's return man. Agnew came into training camp healthy and displaying a growth within his skills as a receiver. However, Morris stated Agnew has been working through an "oblique-esque" injury recently. Morris did not give a timeline for his return or how much anyone could expect to see him this week.
"Coming back to training camp he looked awesome, he looked great and he was giving all of us this sense of hope," Morris said. "Then, he got a little bit of an injury, a little bit of a setback so we have to see where that is and how we get through that to find out whether he can be our return guy or not."
CB Cobee Bryant (hamstring): Bryant has missed the last week of practice with a hamstring injury. Morris said that the Falcons will "get a chance to see him a little bit," this week to potentially give him some reps in the final preseason game.
CB Keith Taylor (hamstring): Like Bryant, Taylor also returns this week to the practice field following his hamstring injury he suffered a few weeks ago. According to Morris, Taylor's hamstring injury was pretty strenuous, but he has healed enough for Atlanta to expect him out there this week.
EDGE Khalid Kareem (groin): Kareem's injury is very similar to that of Walker's. Like Walker, Kareem was held out of last Friday's preseason game. The difference with Kareem, though, is that he is a bubble player fighting for a roster spot. Morris said that the team is hopeful they can get him healthy enough for some preseason reps in order to make a proper evaluation of him prior to cutdowns.
"We would like to get him caught up to speed to get him out there to get him some opportunity to play," Morris said. "Hopefully he can do that, and if he can't, we will move accordingly and like we need to."
CB C.J. Henderson (not injury related — recent signing): Henderson was signed late last week and did not play in Friday's preseason game as Morris said the team wanted to put him through an acclimation period before throwing him in a full-blown game. That will change this week as Henderson is expected to be full-go at practice before getting — what could be — a heavy workload this Friday in Dallas in order for coaches to "see how he falls into that equation."
"He has a big opportunity to go out there and play some snaps and get a chance to do some things for us," Morris said. "I am looking forward to seeing him — I've always had a lot of affection for C.J., particularly, coming out that same (draft) year as A.J. (Terrell) and how we ranked those guys and how we looked at them. I am truly looking forward to getting hands on him, and we'll get that done this week."
