After his impressive showing in Week 2 of the preseason, it seemed like Yasir Abdullah had locked up a roster spot. But in a surprise twist of events, the Jacksonville Jaguars waived him on cutdown day. The silver lining is that the fourth-year linebacker wasted no time finding a new home, landing with the Atlanta Falcons.
The Falcons picked Abdullah (and two other players) off waivers. This is noteworthy because he was the only Jaguar who was claimed after getting the boot.
You could even make the case that Abdullah is better off with the Dirty Birds since he made the 53-man roster. Had he stayed in Duval, the former Louisville Cardinal would have stayed on the practice squad.
Why are the Falcons kicking the tires on Yasir Abdullah?
Under Jeff Ulbrich, the Falcons want linebackers with speed and range. Yasir Abdullah fits the bill, having posted a 40-yard run of 4.47 seconds back at the NFL Scouting Combine. In Atlanta, the Miami, Florida native will join a group that includes Devine Diablo and Kendal Daniels. Similarly, his arrival could make JD Bertrand expendable.
A fifth-round pick in the 2023 draft, Abdullah was an intriguing pickup. Back in college, he showed the ability to get after the quarterback, but it didn't carry over into the NFL. Some of that may have been due to his lack of length.
That said, Abdullah carved out a niche on special teams and saw time as a reserve on defense. However, he was part of a crowded linebacker unit and needed to show out to stick around. He did, registering a key tackle on special teams and forcing a fumble against the Carolina Panthers in Week 2 of the preseason.
It wasn't enough, and Abdullah ended up getting kicked to the curb. During his stint in Duval, he appeared in 29 games with three starts, registering 28 total tackles and two quarterback hits.
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Why the Jaguars moved on from Yasir Abdullah
Despite his preseason heroics, Yasir Abdullah had a limited ceiling as a linebacker. Couple that with the fact that fellow linebacker Jhalani Tavai showed out, and the Jaguars no longer had room for him.
Tavai had ample starting experience — he played a combined 107 games with 67 starts for the Detroit Lions and the New England Patriots — that gave him the edge over Abdullah. On top of that, Jacksonville had no room for him next season, with Branson Combs, Ventrell Miller, Foyesade Oluokun, and Dennis Gardeck in the mix.
Still, things ended up working out in Abdullah's favor. Whereas he would have been a backup at best with the Jags, there's a strong chance he'll start for the Falcons.
As the adage says, when a door closes, and other one opens, and Yasir Abdullah got his with the Falcons.
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