Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Casey Barth was disappointed when he wasn’t selected in the NFL Draft, but the letdown faded when the Atlanta Falcons came calling.
Being an undrafted free agent does have its advantages, and the Falcons weren’t the only ones interested in acquiring Barth’s talents. The Indianapolis Colts and the Carolina Panthers were also watching closely. However, the offers from the Colts and Panthers mandated that a deal included only a chance to obtain a spot at training camp. Barth’s selection was easy when the Falcons offered him the chance to come to training camp and compete for Matt Bryant’s kicker position.
Barth also thought that the opportunity with the Falcons was his best shot to immediately compete for—and gain—a coveted NFL profession. A bold thought that was, considering Bryant’s capabilities and established record of production. However, it’s easy to understand where Barth was possibly coming from in that thought pattern. Bryant isn’t getting any younger, and the Falcons are fond of their youth revolution.
Though Barth’s dream of quickly gaining that desired status was a long shot at best, it was still disappointing when he was waived by the Falcons after one week at the rookies’ mini-camp. A week doesn’t seem like much time to prove anything either way, but decisions have to be made and enacted for the greater good of the team. He can take heart from his own brother Connor Barth’s experiences as well. Connor had short-lived stints with both the Kansas City Chiefs and the Miami Dolphins before finding his home with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Whether the Falcons should have kept him is a moot point at this point, and Barth will get a chance to prove himself somewhere else. The waiting game isn’t an easy one, but don’t expect this temporary setback to keep him on the bench for long.
Leigh Allen is an NFL Atlanta Falcons writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow her on Twitter, on Facebook, and on Google+.
