Flowery Branch — Falcons safety Lawyer Milloy isn't into rebuilding. Yet, when he looks to around that's all he can see — new guy here, young guys there, another coaching staff.

Hope may spring eternal. Milloy's career won't.

"I'll be 35 in November and what I mean to this team — they kept me for a reason," Milloy said Monday. "I'm still playing well. I just want a chance to win. If I can't win this year at least keep me around so I can see it unfold.

"That was my big thing in the offseason. It wasn't about money and all that. If you're going to use not only my on-the-field talents, but leadership in the locker room, show a little loyalty to me also."

Milloy, set to earn $1.7 million, would like at least another year added to his contract, which expires after this season. It's not the money, Milloy said. It's the possibility to win again before his career ends. He sees a foundation for success. The reward might not come this season but it's coming, he said.

He just doesn't want to be discarded when the time arrives.

"I do like the direction of the new coaching staff," Milloy said. "I like coach [Mike Smith]. It's just a better atmosphere. It's set up to win a championship here. I'm just not afforded some of the time these young guys are being afforded."

The team's stance with all pending undrafted free agents — Michael Boley, Kynan Forney, among others — is to wait and see if the player and team are ideal fits. If an extension is warranted, talks could begin at some point during the season.

Milloy missed the latter part of voluntary offseason workouts and he declined media requests the first week of training camp because he was hoping to enhance his contract situation, to no avail.

"I'm not one of the guys that don't want to be here," Milloy said. "Obviously I'm loyal to what I signed up for, but again I didn't come down here [to rebuild]," said Milloy, who joined the team in 2006 under then-coach Jim Mora. "Am I happy about it? No. But I am a part of this team. My attitude is great. I'm the one who signed the deal and that's it."

Milloy hasn't let personal feelings about his contract or the rebuilding situation carry onto the field. The three-time Pro Bowler, who is coming off a 119-tackle, two-interception season, has practiced and played at a high level.

Milloy, who said he is not disgruntled, is making the best out of his situation and is helping teach and encourage players like rookie cornerback Chevis Jackson, first-year starting cornerback Brent Grimes and first-year safety Thomas DeCoud.

The initial returns, from his perspective, have been good.

"When I go out there, I'm trying to win ball games," Milloy said. "If the expectations are low for some of these guys out here, I'm trying to make them believe that they're better than what they are. I was very pleased with the effort that they gave against the Jaguars.

"I think we can deal with some of these young guys that we're forcing to play at an early stage in their careers."

Milloy and linebacker Keith Brooking are the grey beards of the defense but in the preseason opener at Jacksonville, they played like upstarts against — especially Milloy, coach Mike Smith said.

"We need for those guys to step up and they've really accepted those roles and they have started to mentor those young players," Smith said. "It's very important for us to get those guys in line and on board as quick as we can. Lawyer and Brook only played two series but when they were out there they were very productive. Lawyer had three unassisted tackles [four total] in 16 plays. That's nice to see."