JJ

Arcega-Whiteside

Arcega-Whiteside was trying to catch on with the Falcons as a tight end, but ended up being left off the final 53-man roster. As a former wide receiver who is entering his age-26 season, Arcega-Whiteside is quickly running out of opportunities to stick on an NFL roster. In addition to Arcega-Whiteside, the Falcons also released/waived S Micah Abernathy, CB Cornell Armstrong, WR Slade Bolden, CB Breon Borders, CB Natrone Brooks, S Cliff Chattman, DL Carlos Davis, S Lukas Denis, TE Tucker Fisk, LB Frank Ginda, CB Darren Hall, DL Demone Harris, WR Keilahn Harris, OL Jonotthan Harrison, WR Penny Hart, TE Parker Hesse, DL Timmy Horne, RB Godwin Igwebuike, LB Mike Jones Jr. DL LeCale London, WR Zay Malone, OL Michal Menet, DL Caeveon Patton, FB Clint Ratkovich, OL Trevor Reid, WR Matthew Sexton, OL Justin Shaffer, LB Andre Smith Jr., LB Kemoko Turay, OL Tyler Vrabel, RB Carlos Washington Jr., and OL Barry Wesley.

A second-round pick by the Eagles in 2019, Arcega-Whiteside converted from wide receiver to tight end last year and was traded to the Seahawks. He was waived in late August and did not catch on with another team. Arcega-Whiteside, 26, has a fleeting chance of cracking Atlanta’s 53-player roster this season.

Other notable cuts from the Seahawks include quarterback Jacob Eason and wide receiver Bo Melton. Arcega-Whiteside converted to tight end while with the Eagles in an attempt to carve out a role in Philly. When that failed, the Eagles traded him to the Seahawks. Seattle announced him as a receiver when the trade became official. The move was always a long-shot, but Arcega-Whiteside had no future with the Eagles. His second-round draft capital could earn him a shot on someone else’s roster. If not, Arcega-Whiteside will land on a practice squad to start the year.

Seattle announced Arcega-Whiteside as a wide receiver, which is notable after he tried making the switch to tight end in Philly this offseason. They’ll reportedly use him in a “hybrid” role, according to ESPN’s Brady Henderson. JJAW was the 57th overall pick in the 2019 draft and was likely not going to make the team in Philly. The Stanford product heads back to the West Coast where he’ll try to revive his career.

Amadi and JJAW were both 2019 draft picks and were on the outside looking in at roster spots for their respective clubs. Amadi has appeared in 47 games in three seasons for Seattle, making 12 starts. He can function at slot corner and safety and will look to win a roster spot in Philly over the next couple weeks before Week 1.

Arcega-Whiteside is now up to 237 pounds as part of his switch to tight end. Drafted as a receiver in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft, JJAW has logged just six catches over the past two seasons. At 6'2, even the extra weight won’t be enough to make him an every-down player at tight end. However, he could leverage his pass-catching skills to exploit coverage mismatches against linebackers at his new position. The move is undoubtedly a long-shot, but something needed to change for the once-hyped receiver.

Per reporter Jeff McLane, Arcega-Whiteside is “embracing the transition.” It is an overdue Hail Mary attempt after the 2019 second-rounder caught just six balls across 24 games the past two seasons. Simply not an NFL-level athlete at the receiver position, it is unlikely but not impossible that JJAW might have some untapped Logan Thomas/Darren Waller-style upside up the seam. Both those tight end converts are much larger at 6-foot-6, with JJAW lacking people-moving size at 6-foot-2. He will have to flash potential as a “move” option in offseason workouts. We are not holding our breath.

Arcega-Whiteside will undergo surgery and miss the Eagles’ postseason run. 2021 was another lost year for the No. 57 overall pick of the 2019 Draft, as JJAW caught two balls in 16 games. He played under 200 snaps on offense, primarily featuring on special teams. JJAW was up for 16-of-17 games, so there is some trust there on the third unit. That could save his roster spot for the final year of his rookie deal in 2022.

The former second-round pick plays exclusively on special teams now. He doesn’t have a catch this season and his absence won’t affect the Philadelphia offense.

JJAW was left off the final injury report, getting in a full practice Friday, after being sidelined earlier in the week. JJAW was used more for his run blocking as the third or fourth receiver in Week 1, splitting snaps with Greg Ward and Quez Watkins.