5 Atlanta Falcons Who Will Be on the Roster Bubble in 2015
After going 6-10 in 2014, the Atlanta Falcons have many questions surrounding their roster. Some players are going to be on the roster bubble due to additions that are likely to happen this offseason and performance during the 2014 season.
The Falcons will have a ton of competition coming into the 2015 season under a new head coach, with new coordinators and new positional coaches across the board.
The cream will rise to the top, and these Falcons will have to bust their humps to be part of that cream.
S Zeke Motta
1 of 5
Zeke Motta was injured for the entire 2014 season, spending his time on the physically unable to perform list with a neck injury.
Unfortunately for Motta, Kemal Ishmael broke out and looked like a great fit as strong safety in defensive coordinator Mike Nolan's scheme.
Dezmen Southward was also drafted in the third round of the 2014 draft, but he looked like he needs another year as a backup before he's fully ready as well. William Moore has the starting strong safety role completely locked up for 2015 as well.
Motta's job as a reserve safety and special teams gunner looks like it will be filled pretty easily if he can't return from his injury. If he can, he'll be in competition with Ishmael and Sean Baker just to get a roster spot.
The Falcons might be better off trying to switch Motta to a coverage linebacker role.
LB Joplo Bartu
2 of 5
Due to an injury to Sean Weatherspoon, Joplo Bartu was the starting inside linebacker next to Paul Worrilow throughout the 2014 season.
However, with Marquis Spruill coming off injured reserve and Prince Shembo also looking like a better option for interior linebacker, Bartu will find himself in an uphill battle for a roster spot.
Bartu's biggest saving grace is his ability to blitz and play either the edge or the interior. The Falcons could wind up keeping him, but it would only be if the new head coach loves how he can blitz from the interior of the defense and create pressure.
Otherwise, the Falcons linebacker will be a casualty to the cruel, cruel world that is NFL training camp and will be playing for another team in the 2015 season.
Bartu is a good depth player, but the Falcons need an upgrade to a truly good coverage linebacker.
OL Peter Konz
3 of 5
When a rookie undrafted free-agent signing completely outplays a former second-round pick, the front office is definitely going to see some questions about its player selection.
At the time of the selection, Peter Konz looked like an absolute steal in the middle of the second round. Unfortunately for him, a lack of functional strength will have him battling James Stone and other backups at guard and center for a roster spot in 2014.
He could very easily make the roster, but he won't be handed the spot as the new coaching staff takes over.
A new coaching staff won't have any loyalty to Konz and could very easily throw him to the curb if he doesn't perform like he should during training camp.
Some guys just don't have what it takes to play at a high level in the NFL. Konz has been one of those guys through the first three years of his career.
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OT Sam Baker
4 of 5
After suffering yet another injury to derail his career at the beginning of the 2014 preseason, Sam Baker looks like he is on his last legs as the Falcons' starting left tackle. It wouldn't be shocking to see him switched over to right tackle for training camp due to multiple injuries slowing him down.
Unfortunately for Baker, there aren't many great things that he can do even when he is 100 percent healthy. His career is at a crossroads: Either he'll be let go or retire.
Quarterback Matt Ryan deserves better than what Baker was able to give him at the beginning of the 2013 season with his continually banged-up frame. The Falcons deserve to move on and go with Jake Matthews from here on out. Matthews started all of 2013 and looks like he is ready to take the next step.
The one that Baker just couldn't.
RB Steven Jackson
5 of 5
Steven Jackson is going to be 32 years old on opening day of the 2015 season. He's owed $3.75 million in salary that could come off the salary cap and be spent elsewhere.
Jackson had the two worst seasons as a starter during his career in Atlanta in 2013 and 2014.
Atlanta could easily replace his production with a switch to more zone and pull blocking as well as starting Devonta Freeman in the backfield instead. Atlanta also could spend a high pick on a tailback to team with Freeman and have a much better team than it did over the last two years.
Even that would amount to a much lower financial cost than what keeping Jackson represents. The Falcons don't have room on their roster for an aging tailback making nearly $4 million.
It wouldn't be shocking to see Jackson either retire or get cut before the first day of the league year in March.
All stats used are from Pro Football Focus' Premium Stats (subscription required), ESPN.com, cfbstats.com or NFL.com. All combine and pro day info is courtesy of NFLDraftScout.com. All contract information is courtesy of Spotrac and Rotoworld.
Scott Carasik is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. He covers the Atlanta Falcons, college football, the NFL and the NFL draft. He also runs DraftFalcons.com.
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