Mark Weber, The Commercial Appeal Memphis lineman Scottie Dill during 2019 spring football game.
On Friday the Falcons announced that they have moved on from offensive lineman Scottie Dill.
Atlanta had re-signed Dill (a second time) just a week ago, but it looks like he doesn’t fit the mold they’re looking for.
We have waived OL Scottie Dill.
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Scottie Dill’s Background
Dill signed with the Falcons back in April as an undrafted free agent out of Memphis.
At Memphis, Scottie played in 53 games and made 13 starts. He moved into a starting role as a senior after seeing action on the offensive line at right tackle and tight end. He played in 28 games on the offensive line at both tackle spots and logged 1,102 snaps (left: 69 snaps/right: 1,033 snaps).
Scottie’s father, Scott Dill, played in the league for 10 years with the Arizona Cardinals (1988-89), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1990-95) and Minnesota Vikings (1996-97).
It’s unfortunate that Scottie didn’t get a second chance to showcase his talents in Atlanta this season, but I hope another team gives him a chance to compete at one of their tackle spots.
Falcons Host Two Other Linemen This Week
On Thursday, the Falcons reportedly hosted offensive linemen Ka’John Armstrong and OG Willie Beavers. Dill’s release could be to make room for one of these more experienced linemen.
Ka’John Armstrong,24, went undrafted out of Eastern Michigan in 2019. The Cleveland Browns signed him only to waive him. Armstrong then split his time between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Denver Broncos the remainder of the season. The Broncos signed him to a promising contract, but once again Armstrong was waived this past April. While Armstrong has no real in-game experience, he’s still knocking at the door and a great fit for the practice squad.
Atlanta brought in another Michigan guy, Willie Beavers, who played his college ball at Western Michigan. Unlike Armstrong, Beavers was drafted in the fourth round by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2016 draft. He played in two games during his rookie season.
Beavers, 26, has also had some stints with several other practice squads including, the New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks, Chicago Bears and San Francisco 49ers. Recently, Beavers started at left tackle for the Dallas Renegades, an XFL team.
OL Coach Has the Biggest Task in Atlanta Right Now
It looks like defensive coordinator Raheem Morris is off to a great start with his task after the Falcons defense dominated the intra-squad scrimmage on Thursday. Now, it’s up to offensive line coach Chris Morgan to complete his responsibilities.
In 2019, Atlanta surrendered 50 sacks and 48 of them on Matt Ryan, a career-high for the franchise quarterback. Morgan’s duty is to turn this o-line around this season so that doesn’t happen again.
The Falcons have their five starters back for 2020, but if injury galore happens again then the depth chart is looking fairly weak. Jamon Brown is already in concussion protocol and tackle Evin Ksiezarczyk did not participate in Thursday’s scrimmage due to an injury in his left knee.
If Atlanta is going to choose between Armstrong and Beavers for additional help then they should go with Beavers or keep looking.
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