AJC > Sports > Falcons > Blog > Archives > 2006 > July > 17 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USHard training camp ahead?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Coaches and players are getting in their last few days of rest before Falcons training camp starts July 27 at Flowery Branch.
They’d better.
I had a conversation with coach Jim Mora this morning and he made it clear that he is going to push players pretty hard this training camp. Mora is smart enough not to run guys ragged to the point where they’ll be spent come the regular season, but he’s going to hold the feet of a lot of guys to the fire in order to provide depth to the fire.
He said he was unable to really put the Falcons through the true rigors of camp last season because of the lengthy trip to Tokyo. He had to keep them fresh for the trans-Pacific journey, then be cautious with them upon their return, especially immediately after the trip, he said. With four preseason games, all in the U.S., things will be a little different this summer.
Atlanta is set with its starting 22, but they are uncertain at come key backup positions and those players are going to really be challenged, probably more mentally than physically.
There is some concern about depth along the entire offensive line and safety.
The Falcons don’t have much experience at backup guard or center and backup left tackle Frank Omiyale is still raw. There are no plans to play fifth-round draft pick Quinn Ojinnaka, Todd Weiner’s heir apparent at right tackle, unless injury dictates as much.
As for safety, there is still some uncertainty if Kevin Mathis is going to be able to bounce back from major knee surgery — his agent said he’s coming along fine. There are also some questions as to whether Omare Lowe can be effective at safety after moving from cornerback. The Falcons like Cam Newton at safety, but he’s never had to do much in game conditions. He will in preseason.
Rich McKay and Co., also will be scanning the waiver wires daily to see if any safety help becomes available.
The project kickers, Zac Derr and Tony Yelk, are going to be tested early to see if the investment in developing them is worth it or if the team should move on. If the Falcons opt to pick up a veteran kicker, Paul Edinger seems like the top option — not Todd Peterson. However Edinger isn’t going to bypass other opportunities once camps begin, waiting for the Falcons’ call.
Comments
By Andy
July 17, 2006 05:55 PM | Link to this
Steve Wyche, thanks for the article. I have a question. Why are the falcons not concerned about having a big nose tackle? The panthers got two new guys—and new o line help. It seems teams are built from the o-line/d line. I know very little compared to others on this blog, or yourself. I just wanted your take on the possibility of the falcons picking up a big guy in the free agent market, or are they gonna stand pat. If the falcons stand pat—it “seems” they really can stand up to the bigger lines of the panthers or bucs. What do you think?
By This gets old
July 17, 2006 07:57 PM | Link to this
Wow, a football blog, I thought you’d eventually have to make something up for us Steve.
Didn’t McKay say the same thing about the waiver wire and safety last exhi..uh..preseason? Not that we didn’t improve in that area but something bothers me..
this thought that you’re able to get players at key positions (PK, OL, S, DL (my concern only I’m sure) at the last minute.
I think the Panthers (and to a lesser extent the Saints) two years ago made an effort to draft players to contain Michael Vick.
We couldn’t run against them last year and the pass protection was abysmal. My question, what will we do differently this season AND are we REALLY going into a critical year with no PK???
By T
July 17, 2006 08:18 PM | Link to this
Great Blog Steve, but you have failed to mention one key player that the Falcon’s could benefit from. Yes, Rich McKay and co are looking for a good safety…but what about a good lineback like AJ Hawk? Snowflake and I feel that this is a must!
By steve wyche
July 17, 2006 10:13 PM | Link to this
Good comments, except T and Snowflake, A.J. Hawk is in Green Bay and the Falcons are deep at linebacker, so unless they can find an A.J. Hawk type to kick field goals or play safety, they might opt for other types of personnel. As far as landing players this late in the offseason, there are a few kickers available, with Paul Edinger leading the candidates. I think the Falcons probably will make a move to get a vet at some point in the preseason. As far as getting a huge noseguard, the Falcons still maintain it’s not the size of the player but the skill of the player in their system. That said, vet Brentson Buckner is on the short list and has said he would like to play in Atlanta.
By Laved11
July 18, 2006 11:42 AM | Link to this
Mr. Wyche, Two areas that are concerns to me is the battle for the backup RB competition between Duckett and Norwood. Will Norwood get a real look or is Duckett established at No. 2?
Also, do you expect the Falcons to bring in someone to backup Alge Crumpler, and what can we expect from the current backup TE’s?
By Brian Hunt
July 18, 2006 12:32 PM | Link to this
Mr. Wyche,
Why did the team sour so much on Todd Peterson? Is it because of the low kick that got blocked by Tampa? Age and salary? What’s the deal?
-Brian
By BLEED RED AND BLACK
July 18, 2006 01:22 PM | Link to this
Isn’t it amazing how the Falcon Haters come out of the woodworks? What really gets me is how these so called “fans” seem to know what the Falcons needs are and don’t have a clue…for example the bum who seems to think the Faclons need to upgrade at LB come now children who has he been watching?If our LB core remains health(whole team for that matter)and is allowed to play their natural position, we’ll be among the top in the league. As for the Vick Bashers, team is spelled T-E-A-M not V-I-C-K! Steve, most of the anti-Falcon alums favorite team was probably at home(and had a worse record than the D-Birds) in February also.
By Andy
July 18, 2006 04:06 PM | Link to this
Thank you Steve
By drmondo
July 19, 2006 12:06 AM | Link to this
Steve, I liked the update. One area that concerns me is the O-Line. If the backups are that questionable, why didn’t they get some quality veterans when they were available? Are the coaches expecting the blocking scheme to make up for any shortcomings? Go Falcons!
By savannah falcon
July 19, 2006 06:52 AM | Link to this
The Falcons should consider using Norwood as the #1 RB. This will give the Falcons a new offense. I will keep both Dunn & Duckett active in the offense. I will use Dunn for more screen passes and Duckett for short yardage plays. I would also consider using all 3 RBs in option plays. When you draft rookies, use them. Don’t pay them to sit on the bench all year long. Good teams like Pittsburgh, uses rookies from the start of the season. Let our rookies get experience. Rookies that don’t play, does not get any experience. Remember Brett Farve! The Falcons did not give him a chance. They let Brett in on the bench and did not let him throw a pass. The following year the Falcons traded him to Green Bay. What a wasted draft pick. Play our rookies!
By coastal jim
July 19, 2006 08:54 AM | Link to this
I apologize on behalf of my low country brethren. Start Norwood?!? Use all three backs on option plays?!? That is about the dumbest stuff I’ve ever seen on these blogs. This isn’t high school. Get “Friday Night Lights” out of your head and wake up. Now, I feel better.
By coastal jim
July 19, 2006 08:55 AM | Link to this
I apologize on behalf of my low country brethren. Start Norwood?!? Use all three backs on option plays?!? That is about the dumbest stuff I’ve ever seen on these blogs. This isn’t high school. Get “Friday Night Lights” out of your head and wake up. Now, I feel better.
By Poor McKay
July 19, 2006 03:13 PM | Link to this
How about Chris Cash? How is his recovery going and where is he on the depth chart. I thought both he and Lowe played well (albeit briefly) last season. And what’s the early word on Crocker? Is he a legit player? Looked like he was more of a run-supporter than a center fielder. Looking forward to hearing more about our secondary unit this year. I think their health and performance will be key to our success.
By Tha'Hammer
July 19, 2006 08:21 PM | Link to this
Steve don’t worry. The closer training camp gets the more intelligent the commentary and questions will be. Folks most of y’all are spouting gloom and doom when you outta be jacked…Look at our opening day defense and compare to ANYONE in the NFL. Returning injured studs combined with great free agent signees = trouble for the rest of the league. Every team has holes somewhere but rest assured, ours wont be on defense. As for the offense, Vick and co. managed to keep us in most games last year. And that was with teams knowing what we were gonna do. Now add two rising stars at wideout with a year in the system (and with Vick) and a (hopefully) healthy Crump with the number 1 running game in the NFL and all of a sudden it really doesn’t look too bad after all, no?
By titothebear
July 19, 2006 10:42 PM | Link to this
Put tha’hammer down! No! It doesn’t look as good as you make it sound. The Fans said, basically, the same things before last season. After it ended, people jumped on the “the defense let us down” bandwagon. Last year’s defense won several games- the game with the Eagles, the first one with the Saints and the game with the jets. otherwise, the Foulcons would have been 5-11. The most glaring problem is at quarterback. It will become even more so as the season goes along and the losses accrue. Vick is a tremendous athlete but he’s not even an average quarterback.
By Nikki
July 20, 2006 10:27 AM | Link to this
I have a very bad feeling about this kicking situation. I hope McKay has a backup plan that does not include Todd Peterson. If not, we’ll be this season’s Dallas Cowboys. We’ll miss the playoffs solely due to a lack of a kicking game.
By Jay Black
July 20, 2006 11:21 AM | Link to this
Goodbye Tito. Have a nice day…..on another teams blog. I never knew why you always let the air out of the balloon before we get a chance to watch it fly. You can’t be a Falcons fan.
By bryan
July 20, 2006 02:42 PM | Link to this
why do you keep on saying that titobear? Ok, the defense did win some games for us but they also lost games for us. Both tampa bay games, patriots, the seahawks in which the defense gave up 21 points in the 2nd quarter.
By james
July 20, 2006 03:10 PM | Link to this
If you guys would stop responding to the trolls on these blogs then they will stop posting after a while. I want to know if the Falcons are going to sign the safety just released from NO? Also when are the falcons going to sign a real kicker? they should have been all over vinateri when he became a free agent
By tmoney42..a real fan!
July 20, 2006 03:52 PM | Link to this
yea, i just heard the saints are droppin dwight smith. he started in tampa, went to n.o., he may as well come on to the atl and give us the break down on both of those teams…i think that would make up for not gettin that big nose tackle. thats the move i wanna see, and then paul edinger!
By ILL-logical
July 20, 2006 07:40 PM | Link to this
Here is a trade that could bolster the offense: Ashley Lelie, the Bronco’s former 1st round wide receiver, for Falcons former 1st rounder, Michael Jenkins. Al led the league last year in yards -per-catch while MJ led the Falcons in dropped passes. Would/should the Dirty Birds be interested?
By Tha'Hammer
July 20, 2006 10:33 PM | Link to this
Oh Titothe(huggy)bear. Ye of little faith. Go back to Nawlins’ and watch Bush hold out or something. Defense collapsed last year cause (insert excuse here). The fact is injuries from the get-go hurt and we never really got over them, we just tried to hide them, moving people and starting others who really weren’t ready. This usually resulted in bad down/ distance situations for the offense. You can dog Vick ( I do myself, at times) but give me Vick, first and ten, opponents 40 yard line, 2 minutes left, down by 4. Bud i’ll take that bet every time.
By Tha'Hammer
July 20, 2006 10:43 PM | Link to this
ILL-logical I too wondered why the birds passed on Lelie when he was available in the draft, but that’s why I don’t scout for the falcons. There is a reason Denver is willing to part with him. He hasn’t produced. You want to trade a future pro bowler for a underachiever? I don’t get it. If history is any indicator any wide out with the last name Jenkins playing for the birds will definitely shine( see Alfred).
By uup115
July 21, 2006 06:11 AM | Link to this
so does this mean Mora is going to actually play Vick this preseason? if he chooses not to how are the Falcons going to answer the critics after the first game. Carolina made Vick looked clueless twice late last season. if they do play Vick and he looks lost going into the season how long do they ride the 15.5 million dollar 1 trick pony? the first 7 games this season are merciless and after that the 9 remaining might me meaningless. let the Mora meltdowns begin…
By DIRRTYBIRD
July 21, 2006 02:58 PM | Link to this
One game at a time there uup115. All of our games are winnable, but it starts with the first one, at Carolina. They got us twice last year, but we got them twice the year before, and the year before that. It all means nothing, because last year is last year. Falcons 1-0 to start the year. Remember Philly last year. 1-0.
By Rob
July 21, 2006 03:50 PM | Link to this
These weaknesses are exactly why the Falcons will not make the playoffs again. Rich McCay did well in TB, but he is running this team into the ground fast! He must looking ahead to the Commish job.
By Steve
July 21, 2006 06:47 PM | Link to this
Hey, guys it would be nice to have a big nose tackle, but I think that the Falcons have some pretty good guys at thet spot.
Now about playing three backs, I would suggest the split T or the wing T. But I will have Justin at FB, and Dunn and Norwood at backs. Dunn would be the wing back.
By nunna yo biznezz
July 22, 2006 08:01 AM | Link to this
U see!!!!!!!!
Thats what im talking about right here Steve and others..I don’t care if he is mobile..If u want him to have even a little time to throw the ball without always having to do it on the run,he needs blockers..If it were #8 who is less mobile in there and he was the starter,we would have an all pro line that we would go after in the free agent chase..
They are setting the fans up for and Okee Doke.And Vick will again be the scapegoat of the team!!
By michael
July 22, 2006 07:33 PM | Link to this
Both of the game best receiver’s wanted to play in atlanta! And Blank, Mc kay, in company didn’t pull the tigger on one of them! That’s carzy! Stop putting mediocre players around Vick. Imagine what kind of fire power offensively that would have been!
By E. Hill
July 22, 2006 10:53 PM | Link to this
Terrell Owens wanted to play for the Falcons Too. Wow, kinda sounds like an impire is being built in the ATL. I wonder if wanting to play with Vick, the starting Q.B. had anything to do with that. Or was it with Mat Shaub?
By ROCKBUSTER
July 23, 2006 07:23 AM | Link to this
CAN’T WAIT FOR SEASON TO START.I THINK THE FALCONS ARE GOING TO HAVE A VERY GOOD YEAR.GO FALCONS.
By ROCKBUSTER
July 23, 2006 07:36 AM | Link to this
I THINK THE FALCONS WILL HAVE A BREAK OUT SEASON.CAN’WAIT TO SEE THIS DEFENCE PLAY TOGETHER.GO FALCONS.
By titothebear
July 23, 2006 02:26 PM | Link to this
Both of the game best receiver’s wanted to play in atlanta! And Blank, Mc kay, in company didn’t pull the tigger on one of them! There’s a really good reason as to why the Foulcons passed on them. Having premiere receivers would take away an excuse for Vick. If a quarterback can’t find owens he’s not a very good quarterback and that would be the case for Vick. Donovan McNabb missed seven games last year and he finished with better numbers than Vick who only missed one game. If Owens wasn’t happy with Donovan’s abilities, he would have been perpetually livid with Vick’s. No, the Foulcons were wise to pass on the thoroughbred and stick with a herd of Mr. Eds.
By chi chi
July 23, 2006 03:58 PM | Link to this
Tito the falcons passed on T.O. and Moss for a reason thier talents are not the reason we passed but thier attitudes last time i checked niether Moss or T.O. has won a superbowl on any team theyve been on.
By titothebear
July 23, 2006 09:21 PM | Link to this
Their attitudes? You mean not accepting losing gracefully? Perhaps you mean striving to win and spurring their team mates to do their utmost. No, the Foulcons don’t need that sort of trouble. They are content with wideouts that never get loose in the secondary. They are satisfied with having the tightend catch nine hundred passes and gain a lot of yardage and score ten touchdowns. You’re right! That winning attitude thing is way overblown. Who cares if you win as long as you fill that ugly dome and the quarterback gains a hundred yards rushing. Winning is a state of mind and it can’t be found in Georgia.
By titothebear
July 24, 2006 12:02 AM | Link to this
Just saw Chris Daft on the television talking about the Panthers and how there will be dissension caused by keeshawn and Steve calling for the ball. Yeah, that’s got to cause some trouble when two guys can’t wait to get their hands on the ball and take it to the house. Whom do the Foulcons have that really wants the ball? Whom do they have that can get it away from Vick, the gridiron equivalent of Reggie Theus? Last year the Panthers put sixty-eight points on the Foulcons, while the Dirty Birds scored seventeen. Eight of those points came from Schaub’s passes, which means the Foulcons put up nine points, in two games, with Vick at quarterback. Better get somebody who wants the ball! Better get somebody who can get it to receivers down field. The Foulcons could stand that sort of dissension!
By PAUL
July 24, 2006 12:15 PM | Link to this
I STEVE KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THE FALCONS IS GOING TO TRY AN GET DWIGH SMITH? THAT IS A BIG MOVE. GO GET HIM MCKAY.
By Ty
July 25, 2006 04:34 PM | Link to this
I don’t really know what to think of this year’s Falcons team……..they seem a lot better, but then I look at Carolina, with all the people that they’ve added in the past few years, and now they seem to be one of the most complete teams in the NFL, one that is able to shut u down with their defense, but just as easily can hang points on you whenever they want…..I feel that we’ll make the playoffs this year, but vick must improve as a QB, or else I’m gonna come to the stadium with my “Bench Superman, Play Schaub” sign. Go Falcons! (Hopefully to the Super Bowl, or at least the playoffs)
By Ty
July 25, 2006 04:35 PM | Link to this
I don’t really know what to think of this year’s Falcons team……..they seem a lot better, but then I look at Carolina, with all the people that they’ve added in the past few years, and now they seem to be one of the most complete teams in the NFL, one that is able to shut u down with their defense, but just as easily can hang points on you whenever they want…..I feel that we’ll make the playoffs this year, but vick must improve as a QB, or else I’m gonna come to the stadium with my “Bench Superman, Play Schaub” sign. Go Falcons! (Hopefully to the Super Bowl, or at least the playoffs)