NFL 2010 Camp Preview: Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are looking to rebound from a disappointing 9-7 season and make another playoff run in 2010.
Other than going out and landing the best corner back on the free agent market in Dunta Robinson the Falcons laid low this off season and did not make a lot of changes. In is Robinson and out are Tye Hill and Chris Houston.
The Falcons will continue to look to Matt Ryan, Michael Turner, and Roddy White to key the offense while hoping that Robinson brings some stability to the secondary and veterans John Abraham and Mike Peterson help to keep the defense’s head above water.
Other than needing a little more receiving depth and improved offensive line play the Falcons are pretty solid on offense. Michael Turner, Jerious Norwood, and Jason Snelling gives the team a nice core of running back talent while Roddy White is amongst the best pass catchers in the game and tight end Tony Gonzalez is still better than most at the tight end position.
Ryan did not quite take as big a step forward in his development as the Falcons had hoped he would he still remains one of the best young signal callers in the game. Some of his struggles last season can be attributed to a turf toe injury suffered in the second half of the season that cost him some playing time down the stretch.
Defensively the Falcons are still trying to figure it out. Defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux had a breakout year and the team hopes last year’s first round selection Peria Jerry will be ready to go when camp opens. Jerry showed flashes of what he could do last summer and the combination of him and Babineaux could be force to be reckoned with next season.
The linebacking corps is a bit suspect and lacks a dynamic play-making presence while the secondary should be better with the presence of a true cover corner in Robinson.
Key Veteran Additions – Dunta Robinson (CB)
Robinson has never quite lived up to expectations being the 10th pick in the draft coming out of college, but he definitely represents a significant upgrade over what the Falcons had last season and can generally hold his own against most receivers in the league. At the very least he gives them some veteran leadership and stability the team has been desperately searching for since Lawyer Milloy and DeAngelo Hall were shown the door.
Key Rookie Additions – Sean Weatherspoon (OLB), Corey Peters (DT), Mike Johnson (OG), Joe Hawley (OL)
Weatherspoon could get a chance to win a starting job but will likely have to wait a year or so to beat out Stephen Nicholas or Mike Peterson for one of the OLB spots. He has good size and speed and is generally a reliable tackler who likes to lay the lumber on ball carriers.
Peters will provide some depth at the DT spot and could see some action as a run stopping specialist.
Johnson and Hawley bring some much needed depth to the interior offensive line positions. It seems unlikely that either will start right away but both are considered solid prospects who should develop into NFL starters a couple of years down the road.
Key Position Battle
With so little turnover this off season there are not a lot of holes to fill in the starting lineup this summer for the Falcons. The biggest question will be who the other corner is opposite Robinson. Brian Williams held the job to start the season last year only to go down with an ACL injury five weeks into the season. The job will be his to lose provided he is healthy enough and up to speed to handle the job. If not then Brent Grimes and Chris Owens will battle it out. Both guys are on the smallish side and neither is considered an ideal starting corner back, but they could do a lot worse.
Players to Watch
Can Matt Ryan take that next step forward to becoming one of the league’s elite quarterbacks? It may be tough given the Falcons did nothing to address their lack of a quality complimentary receiver to White and their overall lack of depth at receiver.
Is Michael Turner a one-hit wonder? He struggled to get going last season and once he finally got it into gear he suffered an ankle injury that cost him the better part of the second half of the seas0n.
Will Michael Jenkins or Harry Douglas finally step up and be the complimentary receiver they have been looking for opposite Roddy White? Jenkins has two or three game stretches where it looks like things are starting to fall into place only to go the next two or three games where one barely notices he is even there. Douglas has shown flashes, but is coming off an ACL injury and it remains to be seen whether he will be at full speed when training camp opens.
Will Tony Gonzalez ever show signs of slowing down? He still managed to catch 83 balls in his 13th season last year. He keeps himself in phenomenal shape and has only missed two games over his entire career. Gonzalez needs just one more catch to become the first tight end and 7th player to reach the 1,000 catch plateau.
Was last season simply a career year for Jonathan Babineaux or is he on the verge of establishing himself as one of the league’s best defensive tackles.
At the age of 32 John Abraham is coming off the worst season of his career in which he played at least 10 games. He managed just 5.5 sacks and one forced fumble last season and is showing signs his better days may be behind him.
If Abraham cannot rebound from a sub par season the Falcons will need Jamaal Anderson, Lawrence Sidbury, or Kroy Biermann to step up their game in the pass rush department. The Falcons have struggled to find a complimentary pass rusher to Abraham since Patrick Kearney left via free agency. Now is the time for one of their younger pass rushers to step it up or it could be a long season for the Falcons defense.
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