Falcons’ Abraham does not practice

Flowery Branch— Defensive end John Abraham and kicker Jason Elam were absent Friday morning when the Falcons began their weekend mini-camp.

Abraham and Elam, joined defensive back Von Hutchins (broken foot), offensive lineman Alex Stepanovich (back) and cornerback David Irons (knee) on the list of players being held out.

“We felt they weren’t 100 percent ready to go, so we made a decision to limit those guys today,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said. “Abe is leftover from the rigors of the 16-game season. He had a number of ailments.”

Abraham had nerve, shoulder and neck ailments. He started all 17 games last season, but he left the game early against Carolina on Nov. 23.

Smith would not confirm if Abraham had any offseason surgeries or medical procedures.

“Not going to talk about it,” Smith said.

Abraham, who set a franchise record with 16.5 sacks and was a Pro Bowl alternate last season, has a history of hamstring issues.

Elam played in all 17 games last season, but was listed on the injury report with a hip injury over several weeks.

“You look at those guys, Jason and John, they are up there in years,” Smith said. “They’ve got a number of mini-camps underneath their belts. We are going to limit them and limit some of the older players. We want to get a look at as many of these young guys as we can.”