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On Friday, the Atlanta Falcons announced that they had cut running back Craig Reynolds. This move was made to re-sign safety J.J. Wilcox and give undrafted free-agent running back Mikey Daniel a spot on the roster.
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If you’re from Philly, you know what Reynolds is capable of. A Philadelphia native himself, Reynolds spent the offseason working with a personal trainer to come back and compete for a spot on the roster.
Small-School Guy With NFL Dreams
Reynolds played at Kutztown University, a small Division II school in Pennsylvania. His impressive stats in college caught the attention of a Washington Redskins scout.
He finished his collegiate career at Kutztown as the school’s third all-time leading rusher with 2,650 yards and second in school history with 5,277 all-purpose yards.
Watching a small-school, Division II guy rise in the NFL has always been really cool. And if anything, it’s an indication that these are the type of athletes who will work hard every day at practice, or in any in-game action they get.
Reynolds grew up not only following NBA legend Russell Westbrook but also learning from him and reiterating Westbrook’s life motto throughout his own.
“The mentality of how he treats every day, he doesn’t take anything for granted out on the court,” Reynolds told Heavy earlier this year. “And then one of the big things he always said was, ‘Why not?’ and when I was growing up, coming through the back end of high school and going through college, I said, ‘Why not?’ Why can’t I be a kid from Kutztown and make it to the NFL?”
Reynolds made his NFL debut with a short stint in Washington last season.
He had played safety throughout high school but Kutztown scouted him as a running back. His versatility could have matched up well in Atlanta if the Falcons would have given him a chance.
It’s sad to see him go but we can only wish him the best and hope another team notices his talents.
A Crowded Backfield in Atlanta
Before the Falcons picked up Todd Gurley, there was a huge hole to fill in the backfield. Now, it seems to be a little bit crowded back there.
Here’s how the Falcons running back depth chart currently looks: Gurley, Brian Hill, Ito Smith, Qadree Ollison. The fullbacks are Keith Smith and Mikey Daniel.
Atlanta wanted to add another running back despite adding Gurley and they were able to get that with Daniel. However, someone else will likely be heading back to free agency. On a normal NFL roster, there are typically three active rushers so the others will be headed to the practice squad or waived to make room for better players.
If Ollison doesn’t look like more of a threat in the backfield this season, he could be on his way out.
Daniel Could See Time at Both Fullback and Running Back
Daniel was technically drafted as a fullback because he knew it would be easier to land a home but the Falcons were scouting him as a running back.
Aside from being a hybrid player, Daniel has a lot to offer and is someone to keep your eyes on as he climbs his way up the depth chart.
He was rated as one of the top fullbacks in this year’s draft class and he is not only reliable as a pass-blocker, but he can also run and catch the ball well out of the backfield.
The 6-foot-2, 235-pound speedster finished his collegiate career at South Dakota State with 1,728 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns on 364 carries.
With Reynolds out of the picture, this is the new underdog you need to be rooting for.
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