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Home > Mark Bradley > Archives > 2008 > July > 20
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Things to consider as Falcons prepare for camp
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Training camp opens Saturday, presumably without protesters and low-flying aircraft this time, and those still paying attention will see how it looks when a 43-year-old franchise starts over. The Falcons will convene with new coaches and new players, and they’ll be fodder for many, many questions. Such as:
1. If Matt Ryan is the most impressive quarterback in preseason, will the Falcons dare to start him against Detroit on Sept. 7? If Ryan isn’t the most impressive quarterback, will that be an indication Thomas Dimitroff overreached? And will Ryan — who is, after all, a rookie — be extended the benefit of any doubt by a constituency still divided over Michael Vick?
2. Is the offensive line as bad as all that? Will first-rounder Sam Baker step in at left tackle, or was his lofty selection merely wishful thinking? Is Justin Blalock, a second-round pick in 2007, just another example of why Rich McKay is no longer running the draft? Is Kynan Forney finished? Can anybody here play this game?
3. In Mike Smith’s ball-control scheme, will Michael Turner get enough carries to gain 1,500 yards? Or with the absence of holes force him to run for 1,500 yards just to reach the line of scrimmage? Is Jerious Norwood going to get the ball this year, or is he destined to end his career as the most-discussed decoy since O.J. Simpson was a rookie?
4. Was Roddy White’s breakout year the real thing, or was it one of those statistical anomalies that lost seasons sometimes spawn? Is Laurent Robinson ready to start? Is rookie Harry Douglas really better than Robinson? Can Brian Finneran, who hasn’t played since 2005, find a spot? Is Joe Horn still on this team? If so, why?
5. Is the defensive line any better than the offensive line? Will John Abraham stay healthy? Will Jamaal Anderson ever sack a quarterback? Will Dimitroff have to find a tackle off the waiver wire if this unit is to stand any chance of stopping anybody’s running game? Is it possible Grady Jackson, exiled by Bobby Petrino, could wind up here again?
6. Is Keith Brooking still a big-time player, or is he as overrated as ajc.com bloggers insist? Will Michael Boley, who signed a one-year contract and who was arrested for battery over the offseason, continue to develop at an All-Pro pace? Will second-rounder Curtis Lofton, who impressed at minicamp, force himself into the lineup?
7. Is DeAngelo Hall’s absence a case of addition by subtraction or simply of subtraction? Do the Falcons have the guts to start a second-year man (Chris Houston) and a rookie (Chevis Jackson) at the corners? Was safety Erik Coleman worth $10 million over four years? Does Lawyer Milloy have anything left beyond gravitas? Is there a place for David Irons in this iffy mix?
8. Is Smith, a proven defensive coordinator, really a head coach? Or is he the successor to Dan Henning and Marion Campbell — accomplished lieutenants who flopped when given command of the Falcons? Will Mike Mularkey’s low-risk offense be seen as practical or dull?
9. Will a losing season strewn with low-scoring games burn off all the communal good will Arthur Blank has sought to build? Will home games again be blacked out? Will this restart turn out to be just another false start, or have the long-suffering Falcons found a lasting formula for success?
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