If you check preseason roster projections for the Atlanta Falcons, you will not find the name Sam Roberts anywhere. That’s because until a couple of days before the season opener, Roberts was on a different team. The tall, rangy interior lineman was a member of the Carolina Panthers' practice squad. But apparently, Falcons' GM Terry Fontenot was a fan.
When he decided Atlanta needed additional depth, he signed the four-year veteran away from his division rival and plugged him into the Falcons’ depth chart behind projected starters LaCale London and Ruke Orhorhoro.
It took Roberts a month to work his way onto the field, but eventually, injuries and inconsistencies gave him a chance. Based on the past few weeks, he doesn’t seem likely to give up his snaps. If anything, he may earn extra ones.
Sam Roberts could hold the key to the Indianapolis Colts’ offensive success against the Falcons
Roberts may still be a backup in the Falcons’ defensive line rotation, but he has arguably been their most effective lineman over the past few weeks. In Week 10, Indianapolis will travel to Berlin to take on a reeling Atlanta club. The Indianapolis Colts themselves are coming off a disappointing loss in Pittsburgh, in which their running game was stifled and Daniel Jones was at his most careless.
They are eager to get back on track against the Falcons. As odd as it would have sounded a month ago, if they are going to reestablish their sensational offense, job one might just be to get a journeyman perennial practice squad lineman blocked.
The Falcons have been on a roller coaster this year. Their three wins have come against 2024 playoff teams who had a combined 39-12 record last season. And those games weren’t especially close. Atlanta looked like a Super Bowl contender.
But then there were the five losses. Four of them came against teams that were not in the playoffs last year, and two of them were embarrassing blowouts to Carolina and Miami. Smarter writers than I have tried and failed to explain what exactly is happening down in Atlanta these days, but suffice to say, head coach Raheem Morris is getting desperate. He is trying new things to save his season and perhaps his job.
One of those new things has been Roberts. He got his first taste of the field in the Week 6 contest against the Bills. Since then, he has seen his snaps creep up and his productivity climb from week to week.
He had arguably the best game of his pro career last week in a tough loss to New England. Roberts was the Falcons' top-rated defender according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). His overall grade of 89.7 is elite. It was a full ten points higher than anyone else on the Falcons' defense.
Equally important, Roberts was very good against both the run and the pass. Lining up primary over center, he recorded three tackles and two QB pressures in his 29 snaps. He proved to be consistently difficult to block
Roberts may have had something to prove against the Pats. They drafted him back in 2022 and kept him around as a depth piece before releasing him before the 2024 season. But he has been trending up ever since getting on the field in Atlanta, and though still technically a backup, his play may soon demand starting reps.
At 6’5” and 300 pounds, Roberts is not your standard nose tackle. The position is typically played by tackles with more weight but less length. That length can be a problem for offenses. He has the reach to disrupt running plays as well as passing lanes in the middle of the field.
The Steelers' sensational tackle Cameron Heyward showed how much a quality interior lineman can disrupt the Colts' offense last week. Roberts, along with his Falcon teammates, will look to do the same thing this Sunday.
It will be a good test for Tanor Bortolini and especially for right guard Matt Goncalves. Both have been dominant this season until running into the tough Steelers front last week.
Sam Roberts certainly is not the equal of Cameron Heyward. But he is playing very well right now, and the Colts' offensive line needs to be up to the task of blocking him, or he could blow up a lot of what they hope to do on offense.