Falcons make roster adjustment at training camp, release Ross Blacklock and add Josh Woods

The Atlanta Falcons made a pair of roster moves ahead of Thursday’s practice session at their AT&T Training Camp in Flowery Branch, Ga., part of the team’s ongoing effort to sort through depth and assignments during the early stages of camp. According to the club’s official announcement, Atlanta released defensive lineman Ross Blacklock and signed Josh Woods as the Falcons prepare for their second practice of the week.

Blacklock’s departure is one of the more notable internal adjustments for a team that is using the first stretches of camp to evaluate both run fits and pass-rush options across the defensive front. With padded and unpadded work ramping up, releasing a defensive lineman typically indicates that the Falcons want to alter the mix of size, speed, and technique they see on a daily basis.

Woods’ addition is framed by the Falcons as a reunion, with the club’s release describing the move as bringing them back together with a former linebacker. That wording suggests Woods has a prior connection to the organization or staff figure who is now in Atlanta’s building, and it also hints that Atlanta views him as a fit for roles within its defensive structure as camp continues to progress.

Both transactions came ahead of Thursday morning work, placing them in the timeline the Falcons use to finalize who is available for practice reps. That timing can matter for competitive balance, because early camp evaluations often depend on consistency, and a late week addition may come with a quick ramp-up period compared with players already deep into the daily routine.

The Falcons’ decisions also underscore how training camp is managed as an attrition-style process, where roster spots are fluid until coaches have enough tape, meeting participation, and practice snaps to make a clearer determination about fit. Moves like these are not typically framed as season-long commitments, but rather as practical steps to maximize reps for the players Atlanta expects to keep around as the team narrows toward its regular-season roster.

For Falcons fans watching from Flowery Branch, the most immediate storyline is how Atlanta’s defensive line and linebacker group shapes up across the next set of practices. With Blacklock out of the mix and Woods inserted, the team will likely adjust snap counts and positioning, and the best indicator of where the Falcons are leaning will come from who earns extended work in team periods and who continues to draw attention in coaching during subsequent days of practice.

What to watch next is whether the Falcons use Woods in a specific defensive role that matches his prior linebacker label, or whether they experiment more broadly as they sort out their front-seven depth. As camp moves deeper, Atlanta’s early roster decisions like these usually reveal the identities of the players most trusted with consistent reps in the weeks ahead.