The Falcons were a bit crunched this summer in terms of cap space. The one area they addressed: Right guard. The Falcons signed Brandon Fusco to a modest three-year deal. Fusco, a former sixth-round selection, came over from Kyle Shanahan’s system in San Francisco with eighty starts under his belt in the NFL.
Last year, Wes Schweitzer started at right guard for Atlanta after Chris Chester decided to retire. The results were below average, as Schweitzer graded out at 63.6 according to Pro Football Focus. The move to sign Fusco was not just for depth, it was to take Schwetizer’s job.
The Falcons first unofficial depth chart did not represent that.
Wes Schweitzer listed as the starting RG on the Falcons first unofficial depth chart, aa expected based on the work at practice
— vaughn mcclure (@vxmcclure23) August 7, 2018
Falcons unofficial depth chart for Jets preseason game: Offense pic.twitter.com/WkCJlFdKyV
— vaughn mcclure (@vxmcclure23) August 7, 2018
According to Vaughn McClure, Schweitzer will be getting the reps with the first team in Atlanta’s first preseason contest, as he has been in practice.
This may mean nothing. Quinn, like most coaches, are not going to show all of their cards prior to the regular season. However, this appears to be the battle to keep an eye on this preseason. Fusco has the experience and been reliable in the past, but Schweitzer is a much more youthful option that has the potential to build off his first season as a starter. This is definitely something to monitor as the Falcons begin their preseason schedule against the Jets on August 10th.