Jawaan Taylor Activated as Falcons Add Cameron Sample
- Football Nation
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
The Atlanta Falcons changed two position groups on Monday, August 10. The club activated offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor from the physically unable to perform list and signed veteran defensive end Cameron Sample. Atlanta also waived offensive lineman Jack Nelson and long snapper Philip Florenzo as the roster was rebalanced.
Those are the confirmed moves. Taylor can now practice with the team after opening camp on PUP while completing his recovery from the elbow injury that ended his 2025 season. Sample arrives as an experienced rotational defender at a moment when Atlanta needs healthy edge depth.
The two transactions do not settle either depth chart. Taylor must still show that he is ready to handle a starting workload, while Sample must earn his place in a young defensive front. What the moves provide is competition, experience and a clearer set of questions for the rest of August.
What Atlanta confirmed
Taylor joined Atlanta on April 10 after veteran right tackle Kaleb McGary retired. The 6 foot 5, 330 pound tackle entered the league as Jacksonville’s second round pick in 2019 and started every game he played across seven seasons with the Jaguars and Kansas City. He brings 111 regular season starts and extensive postseason experience.
His activation matters because the Falcons built their offensive line plan around a veteran who had not yet taken a full camp workload. Taylor missed Kansas City’s final six regular season games in 2025 because of an elbow injury. Clearing PUP makes him available to work, but it is not the same as proving game readiness.
Sample, 26, was Cincinnati’s fourth round pick in 2021. He has played 61 NFL games with five starts, recording 85 tackles, seven sacks and 26 quarterback hits. In 2025 he produced 17 tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble in 14 games. San Francisco signed him in April and released him on August 5.
Football Nation analysis: Taylor changes the tackle competition
Taylor’s return gives Atlanta a credible veteran option at right tackle, but the timing should preserve the competition rather than end it. Rookie Ethan Onianwa has received valuable work while Taylor recovered. That time should help Atlanta make a real comparison based on health, communication and execution instead of reputation.
Right tackle carries extra importance in this offense because Atlanta’s primary quarterbacks are left handed. The right edge is therefore the blind side in many conventional pass sets. The job demands more than size and starting experience. Taylor must synchronize his set points with the quarterback’s drop, communicate cleanly with the right guard and avoid placing the offense behind schedule with penalties.
A widely shared 2023 video from Taylor’s Kansas City tenure illustrates why stance consistency receives so much attention. The clip is historical, not current Falcons footage, and it does not establish a present problem. It does show how defenders can search for small alignment clues when an offensive tackle changes his posture between run and pass concepts.
For Atlanta, the useful lesson is technical rather than sensational. Taylor needs repeatable footwork and a neutral stance regardless of the call. If he delivers those details while showing that the elbow can withstand contact, his 111 starts make him the safest option. If his movement or timing lags, Onianwa has a legitimate opening.
Why Cameron Sample fits the immediate need
Sample is not a direct replacement for Jalon Walker’s explosive ceiling. Walker’s torn ACL removed a young defender whom Atlanta expected to feature, and one veteran signing cannot recreate that upside. Sample instead gives the staff another sturdy, experienced body who can survive early downs, set an edge and contribute to a rotation.
His career totals describe a complementary player rather than a featured pass rusher. Seven sacks and 26 quarterback hits in 61 games will not transform the defense by themselves. The value comes from dependable snaps that prevent Atlanta from overloading one or two healthy rushers during camp and preseason play.
Sample also gives the coaches flexibility when building the final 53 player roster. A defender with experience at end can help on early downs and allow more specialized rushers to be deployed in passing situations. That becomes especially useful while roles are unsettled and the club evaluates how much of Walker’s workload must be redistributed.
What the preseason must prove
Atlanta’s next checkpoint is Friday, August 14, when the Falcons host Denver in preseason play. Taylor’s participation level will matter more than a ceremonial activation. Coaches need evidence that he can handle consecutive contact periods, recover normally and communicate at game speed. The decision at right tackle should be based on that evidence.
For Sample, the evaluation is simpler. He must show that he can set a firm edge, finish tackles and compress the pocket when the opportunity arrives. He does not need to become the centerpiece of the rush. He needs to make the rotation deeper and more trustworthy.
Football Nation analysis: these are sensible August moves because they address two different kinds of uncertainty. Taylor raises the ceiling and floor of the right tackle competition if healthy. Sample reduces the risk created by a major injury on defense. Neither transaction should be treated as a finished solution, but both improve Atlanta’s ability to find one.
More Falcons coverage
Continue with Football Nation’s Ethan Onianwa tackle competition analysis, the latest Atlanta training camp report and the breakdown of how the Falcons can replace Jalon Walker.
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