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Monday, April 30, 2007
Some draftees already slated to start
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It probably was a pretty interesting scene at Falcons’ headquarters Monday when veterans came in for offseason conditioning a day after some of the 11 draft picks - and safety Jimmy Williams - were moved ahead of them on the depth chart.
The comfort zone many of them felt they may have been in after practicing well at a mini-camp a few weeks ago got real shaky after this weekend, when the Falcons added a dual-threat at left defensive end (Jamaal Anderson), two cornerbacks (Chris Houston, David Irons), a massive guard (Justin Blalock), a wide receiver (Laurent Robinson), and surprisingly, Georgia tight end Martrez Milner.
The fourth-round grab of South Florida outside linebacker Stephen Nicholas also was somewhat of a surprise until it was disclosed that weakside starter Demorrio Williams tore pectoral muscles last week while lifting weights and could be out for the early part of the season. What’s interesting is the coaching staff’s decision to work Nicholas as the starter at weakside while Williams heals, instead of moving Keith Brooking back to his natural spot and inserting Jordan Beck in the middle.
The thinking probably is that Williams should be back at some point so it’s better to have Brooking learn the middle position in Mike Zimmer’s new scheme and not have him bounce back and forth, like he has for most of the past two seasons. Still, Jordan Beck has to be wondering if he’ll ever get a shot.
Grading the draft is something I’ll let someone else do, but the Falcons did address most of their needs, especially on the first day. Anderson will replace Patrick Kerney and allow Chauncey Davis to move back to being a reliable backup at both end spots. Blalock fills a gaping hole at left guard, which was vacated with the release of Matt Lehr.
The drafting of Houston came when the Falcons could not land the safety they wanted (LaRon Landry). They went after the best defensive back available when their turn came in the second round and made the decision to move Jimmy Williams to free safety - a position many NFL personnel types is best suited for him.
The selection of Robinson (Illinois State) quietly was one of the most celebrated picks in the war room. His sure hands and big-play potential were deemed a perfect fit for what Petrino does in the passing game. If the speedy 6-2, 199-pounder can adapt quickly enough, he will be in the rotation, which puts pressure on Roddy White from now. Robinson’s arrival also was due in part to concerns about whether veteran Brian Finneran can fully return from torn knee ligaments that sidelined him for all of 2006.
Bobby Petrino’s take on Milner was incredibly positive, which probably doesn’t bode well for veteran tight end Eric Beverly. The coaching staff has been enamored with second-year player Daniel Fells and had some decent things to say about Dwayne Blakley after mini-camp. The Falcons don’t seem too concerned with Milner’s dropped passes at UGA.
Center guard Doug Datish, taken in the sixth round, is an understated pick. He did not allow a sack all season at Ohio State and he knows how to play the game. Atlanta drafted nose guard Trey Lewis and runnig back Jason Snelling to fill areas of need but they might not be the ideal fits Petrino was looking for. The post-June 1 cuts could be where the Falcons find their big nose tackle and burly tailback.
Irons and safety Daren Stone will have to shine on special teams to make it, but Irons, in particular, could have the chance to play some in nickel packages.
