Scoop City: The Falcons add a star (2024)

Scoop City is The Athletic’s daily NFL newsletter. Sign up here to receive the newsletter directly in your inbox.

I must admit I’ve never enjoyed preseason football so much. Maybe it’s the six first-round quarterbacks. Maybe I’m procrastinating on wedding planning. Either way, I’m glad Week 2 is underway tonight. Today’s newsletter includes:

• 🤝 Falcons addresspass rush
• 📺 What to watch tonight
• 🎙 Kevin O’Connell on McCarthy
• ✂️ Roster projections

Falcons acquired star in Matthew Judon

Yesterday evening, the Patriotstraded star pass rusher Matthew Judonto the Falcons in exchange for a third-round pick. Two quick takeaways:

1.In Atlanta,their typically inept pass rush is boosted by a four-time Pro Bowler who arrives less than a week after they lost their third-round pick — pass rusher Bralen Trice — to an ACL tear. Sending a Day 2 pick for a now 32-year-old (happy birthday, Matthew!) is another signal that the Falcons are serious about winning now.

2.In New England, fans will want to click “simulate to next season.” While a third-round pick is a solid return for a disgruntled player, a Patriots defense without Judon and star DT Christian Barmore, who is out indefinitely, means New England will likely pick high in next year’s draft. As you’ll read below, their offense won’t be much help.

More on what it means to each team.

Eagles at Patriots kicks off Week 2: Pre-game Notes

The Olympics are over, and while sports are always happening all over, attention will now really start turning toward football.

Since I’m guessing you might be tuning in to Eagles-Patriots (NFL Network) at 7 p.m. ET tonight — because you’re subscribed to an NFL newsletter, and because preseason NFL games are typicallyas big a draw as primetime MLB—let’s talk about it:

The Eagles are resting key starters.Bummer. As Brooks Kubena noted, it’sunlikely Philly’s most tenured starters see preseason action. Still, look out for former Steelers QB Kenny Pickett — now backup to Jalen Hurts — who has “revealed an improved touch on deep balls,” per Brooks.

One beneficiary of Pickett’s improvement?Eagles WR John Ross. Yes,thatJohn Ross, the former ninth overall pick who holds the second-fastest 40-yard dash time in NFL history (4.22 seconds). Now 28, Ross retired last July but returned this offseason. He is fighting for a roster spot with the Eagles.

In New England, they need the reps.Patriotsbeat reporter Chad Graff wrote that Tuesday’s joint practice with the Eagles “revealed thatthe team’s offense …is really, really bad.” A team that averaged 13.9 points per game last season (tying the NFL’s worst mark since 2012) and did little to improve during the offseason now has “a brutal combination of a bad offensive line and bad wide receivers,” as Chad puts it.

This makes tonight’s game even more important. HC Jerod Mayo called this a massive week for QB Drake Maye, who will play more tonight after going 2-of-3 for 19 yards in one series last week. As Chase Danielnoted in his rookie QB grades, Maye looked raw, struggled under center and got outplayed by Joe Milton (whom I’ll be watching closely tonight).Watch all three of Maye’s throws here.

For more on tonight’s game, readwhich Patriots Chad’s watching, including a WR3 battle behindDemario DouglasandJa’Lynn Polk, the only two wide receivers that “you’d feel OK about entering the season,” according to Chad’straining camp notes.

What Dianna’s Hearing: O’Connell on McCarthy: ‘We’ve got the right guy’

I was in Berea, Ohio for the Browns-Vikings joint practice on Wednesday, chatting with Kevin O’Connell just a few hours after the team announced first-round quarterbackJ.J. McCarthy will miss the entire 2024 seasonfollowing meniscus surgery on his right knee.

It’s obviously disappointing. But it’s also a reminder that this season was about development for the 21-year-old McCarthy. And, as O’Connell told me, there is plenty of reason for optimism based on what the quarterback showed them this summer:

“All he really did Saturday (in the preseason game) was an extension of what his training camp has really been. So, that’s what obviously stings the most. Feel like it was a player who was just getting better and better every single day. Now our challenge is going to be, how do we continue that progression when we don’t have the tangible results of reps to see the growth? And I will tell you, I’ll sleep easy knowing we’ve got the right guy in our building.”

Back to you, Jacob.

Roster cuts approach

Under current NFL rules, teams can keep 90 players until the final cut day on August 27th, which is now less than two weeks away.

In preparation, I read every one ofThe Athletic’s beat reporters 53-man roster projections. Here are three things that stood out to me:

Steelers:RB/WR Cordarrelle Patterson, a longtime fantasy football enigma, is lining up out wide and receiving backfield pitches in training camp. He’s projected to be their third running back behind Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren in Mike DeFabo’slatest roster projection. The kickoff maestro is worth a late-round flyer.

Broncos:QBZach Wilson makes the roster as QB3 in Nick Kosmider’sprojections, which is now “more realistic given Wilson’s growth over the past couple of weeks.” Most interesting is their running back room, where Nick has Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin and Audrice Estimé, in that order, noting that it’s hard to see four RBs on a roster with three QBs.

Giants: Last year’s midseason sensation, QB Tommy DeVito, fails to make the roster in Charlotte Carroll’slatest projections, as No. 2 QB Drew Lock is “100 percent confident” he’ll be good to go by Week 1. If the Giants think DeVito can remain on their practice squad without being plucked by another team, expect to see him land there.

Around the NFL

ChargersHCJim Harbaughoffered former 49ers QBColin Kaepernicka coaching jobwith the team back in January. The 36-year-old Kaepernick recently saidhe still wants to playin the NFL.

49ersdisgruntled WRBrandon Aiyukreturnedto watching his teammates practice for the first time in two weeks. Still no update on his contract.

RamsQBMatthew Staffordleft practiceearly with hamstring tightness. We’ll keep you updated on the 36-year-old’s status.

RavensTEMark Andrewswas involved in a car accident yesterday. Thankfully, he suffered no injuries and will return to practice in the coming days.

TheBrownsextended LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, who was in the final year of his rookie contract, for an additional three years worth up to $39 million.

TheCowboyssigned veteran DE Carl Lawson, formerly of the Jets and Bengals, to serve as a depth along their line.

TheCowboysalsoacquired DL Jordan Phillipsfrom the Giants via pick swap, sending a sixth-rounder for a seventh in 2026.

Most-clicked yesterday:The NFL’s Top 25 Players, 25 and Under.

Sign up for our other newsletters:

The Bounce 🏀 | The Windup ⚾ | Full Time ⚽ | Prime Tire 🏁 | Until Saturday 🏈

(Photo: Jaiden Tripi / Getty Images)