FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Despite whatever external speculations were out there, Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris told reporters the decision to release wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud III was strictly performance-based.
"There was nothing disciplinary," he said. "I've seen all that stuff. It's just based on performance."
McCloud joined the Falcons in 2024, the same year Morris took over as head coach. He started in 14 games and appeared in 21 of a possible 23 games the last two seasons.
The two games McCloud missed were the Falcons' latest. He was a healthy scratch in both the Falcons' Week 6 win against the Buffalo Bills and Week 7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
McCloud didn't practice at all last week. Then, he didn't travel with the Falcons to California.
"Just got to do what's best for the team every single week," Morris said. "Every move you make is in order to get you better, in order to have better results. That's what we came to the conclusion as.
"I wish Ray-Ray nothing but the best."
The Falcons' latest depth chart was released after the move, and David Sills V slotted into the third starting wide receiver position.
Sills, who originally signed a reserve/future contract with the Falcons in February, has played in all six games so far this season, catching one of his two targets for 9 yards. His offensive snap count percentage has increased each week, going from 2.6% of the unit's total in Week 1 to 44.6% of it in Week 7.
"I thought Sills had another good week (against the 49ers)," Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson said. "I know he hasn't had ball production, but he was separating a lot versus man coverage in that game. The ball just didn't find him."
Not that it can't or won't.
"He's great," Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. said. "He's been great since he got here. He made a lot of plays in camp; obviously, one of the reasons why he is here. … We got a good connection."
Atlanta has already had to test its depth at wide receiver this season, so it knows what options are available. Starter Darnell Mooney was inactive in Week 1 due to a lingering shoulder injury from training camp and then in Week 6 due to a hamstring injury.
Casey Washington was called upon to start both those games. He has played in four games overall, catching five of his 13 targets for 69 yards.
The Falcons also have Jamal Agnew and KhaDarel Hodge, who are usually special teamers but can tap in offensively.
"We'll find any ways that we can use our whole roster to help us out," Robinson said.
Or, the Falcons can look at other rosters. The NFL's trade deadline isn't until Nov. 4. That avenue hasn't been ruled out. In fact, Morris said those conversations are constantly in the works within the pro department.
"To say that it has anything to do with the decision that happened with Ray-Ray, I can't say that's the case," Morris said. "I can say that they're always looking, they're always talking and they're always doing everything with those ramifications. …
"But we got a lot of confidence in the guys that we have on our football team, got a lot of confidence in the guys that helped us play the last couple weeks, to be able to go out there and get things done in even higher fashion than we have."
