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May 2007
Officials meet to review Vick evidence
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The prosecuting attorney, law enforcement officials and a member of the U.S. Department of Agriculture met in Surry County, Va., today to review evidence in the dogfighting investigation at a property owned by Falcons quarterback Michael Vick.
The only comment coming out of the two-hour session was that the investigation was ongoing. If charges are brought, they are not expected to be brought right away and they might not be brought against Vick.
Prosecutor Gerald Poindexter has warned that even though dogfighting appears to have occurred in the two-story house on the property, at least six people could be involved and that Vick, who is only a periodic visitor to the property, might not be a target of the investigation.
The AJC also obtained a list of items seized by police in the search of the property, where 66 dogs, mainly pit bulls, were found and removed from the property.
Among the things taken as evidence were three envelopes addressed to “M. Vick” and a three-ring binder holding “contracts” or copies of contracts. There is no indication if anything was in the envelopes or what the content was inside the binder but according to the search warrant, the only written literature police could seize had to be related to dogfighting.
Meanwhile, Vick has been making the needed “changes” that he has needed to make, according to his high school coach Tommy Reamon. Those changes have not been specified, but Reamon said Vick is “hurting” and trying his best to weather the negative attention this investigation has brought.
Some final minicamp thoughts
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I hope everyone had a good weekend and, to those to whom it applies, I hope you had a wonderful Mothers’ Day. I had the pleasure, and I say that seriously, of watching five mini-camp practices at Flowery Branch.
Of course there was the issue of the Michael Vick, dog-ighting situation that hovered over the weekend, but like my astute colleague Mark Bradley wrote in his column Saturday morning, Vick’s off-field issues are getting tiring. So, if you don’t mind, lets talk about some of the things that took place at minicamp.
First off, I am not one to ever put a whole lot into how certain players look at minicamp because there are no pads on. I’ve seen a whole lot of non-contact Pro Bowlers who wither once they’ve had to go through the grind of a two-week, full-contact training camp. So it’s hard for me to really get a read on a lot of the interior guys.
That said Bobby Petrino has brought in some serious beef to compete for positions along the interior. There are 17 players over 300 pounds and several other just under the mark. It is a stark contrast to previous years, where, because of the system the team ran, opted to use sleeker type players.
With tight end Alge Crumpler recovering from knee surgery, Dwayne Blakley, Daniel Fells and Martrez Milner took the brunt of the offensive snaps. All three are big tight ends, who can run. I can see all of them being utilized in different ways, especially Fells, who not only has hulked up, but looks very comfortable blocking and passing.
The guy creating the most buzz at camp was rookie wide receiver Laurent Robinson. After a tough first practice, the third-round draft pick settled in to make some impressive catches at all stages of the field. Roddy White also looked very, very good. If he can transfer the focus he showed at mini camp to when it counts, the gifted first-rounder might finally materialize.
For those who might think Joe Horn has lost a step, he must have found it somewhere between New Orleans and Atlanta because he looked to be the best player on the field much of the time. He also was one of the most competitive. Though Petrino talked about trying to measure Horn’s workload, Horn was always the first guy in line, working the hardest to get open and running with the ball after he made a catch.
At quarterback, Vick looked fairly comfortable in the offense, in which he will throw more out of the pocket. The battle for the No. 3 quarterback spot is going to be very interesting. It looked like D.J. Shockley has changed his mechanics somewhat and he’s getting the ball out a lot quicker than normal. Chris Redman, meanwhile, has a very nice touch on all his passes and may throw the most catchable ball of the four backs in camp.
Defensively, end John Abraham looks healthy and hungry. He told my partner D. Orlando Ledbetter that he’s quite motivated to prove his naysayers wrong. If Abraham can stay healthy, the Falcons’ defense might not be as much of a concern as it is right now with all its injuries.
While, rookie cornerback Chris Houston might have some things to learn, he has the speed to make up for any one-on-one coverage breakdowns. He is a flyer and a mega-competitor. A player who also looks really solid is cornerback Lewis Sanders, who was signed from Houston in free agency. Though Houston might end up starting, Sanders should provide very reliable depth.
I know I skipped over a few positions, but those were just some of the more notable observations.
Offensive line bigger, hopefully better
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The first thing that stands out at mini camp is that the Falcons offensive linemen are bigger, as a whole. Some players haven’t morphed into giants, but some of the players that were brought in to compete for roster spots are massive.
Some of the incumbent linemen also appear to be bigger, which is something coach Bobby Petrino said he wanted as he transitions from a zone-blocking scheme to a more traditional in-line blocking scheme. The success of Petrino’s diverse offense hinges on the success of the line, which is up to the task, according to tackle Wayne Gandy.
Order No. 1, according to Gandy, is being able to fortify the pocket in pass protection since Petrino wants Vick to be more of a pocket passer. If Vick has time, he’ll have a lot of options, as players said running backs, tight ends and receivers will be made available in the passing game. That Petrino plans on throwing to the running backs will be a big change, and a welcome one, according to tailbacks Warrick Dunn and Jerious Norwood.
Right now, everyone seems very excited about the potential of the offense. Backup quarterback Chris Redman, who played for Petrino for a season at Louisville when Petrino was an assistant coach, said players will be even more excited when they see how Petrino calls plays in games.
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Minicamp key for White, Williams
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Falcons kick off a three-day minicamp Friday, which is not open to the public.
All 11 draft picks, college free agents and veterans are expected to attend, although it is still uncertain if nose tackle Grady Jackson will be present. Jackson, who is suing the team, has missed all offseason workouts, including a voluntary pre-draft minicamp.
This will be an important minicamp for a lot of players, most notably the rookies. Two players worth following, though, are wide receiver Roddy White and free safety Jimmy Williams.
After two years, it’s time for the gifted White to show if he’s going to emerge as a reliable NFL receiver. Because of dropped passes, he has been unable to hold on to a starting job. The addition of Joe Horn seemingly has moved him to the No. 3 spot, behind Horn and Michael Jenkins.
The Falcons also drafted Laurent Robinson out of Illinois State in the third round. The move could have been made as insurance in case veteran Brian Finneran isn’t fully healed from torn knee ligaments that kept him from playing all last season. Even so, Robinson could be a threat to move into the top-three rotation if White doesn’t overcome the inconsistency that has limited him from prospering.
As for Williams, he returns to the position he grew up playing. Williams was moved from safety to cornerback during spring drills during his sophomore year at Virginia Tech and remained there until the recent drafting of Arkansas cornerback Chris Houston, a move the Falcons said facilitated moving Williams to free safety.
Williams will be competing with incumbent Chris Crocker but if Williams can re-adapt, which he said should not be a problem, he likely will be the starter. He has the size and physical temperament to succeed at free safety but he has to learn to be the quarterback of the defense.
Williams said he might regain some of the 10 pounds he lost to get down to 205 to play corner but he doesn’t expect, at this point, to rapidly get back to 215.
Another player of interest is rookie outside linebacker Stephen Nicholas, who will be filling in for injured outside linebacker Demorrio Williams (torn pectoral muscles). Nicholas could be needed to start at weakside outside ‘backer during the early part of the regular season and his rapid adaptation to Atlanta’s scheme is very important.
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