Tuner expects to reap benefits of Gonzalez deal

Flowery Branch — With the addition of tight end Tony Gonzalez, running back Michael Turner doesn’t expect to see opposing defenses deploy eight or nine players near the line of scrimmage.

“They have to play us honest,” Turner said. “We are not just a one-dimensional team. We can use the middle of the field more. Line him out wide. We can create some mismatches out there.”

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Curtis Compton/ccompton@ajc.com

Falcons owner Arthur Blank and new tight end Tony Gonzalez watch practice from the sidelines on Saturday. Gonzalez participated in individual workouts but did not take part in team workouts.

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Turner led the NFL with 376 carries last season. With a more diversified passing attack, his carries should drop.

“I’m not worried about that right now, but we’ve got more pieces to the puzzle,” Turner said. “I’m going to prepare like I have to do the same amount of work. If I have to do less, that would be great for me.”

Turner rushed for 1,699 yards, second in the league, and went to his first Pro Bowl.

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Second-round pick William Moore appears to be a bigger version of former safety Lawyer Milloy. “He’s a great size safety and can run and hit,” defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder said. “The safety position in our system requires a lot of reps. He’s going to make a lot of mistakes. It’s awfully early to make any kind of early judgment on him. But we like what he brings to the table.” … Both practices were open to the public. About 1,600 fans attended the morning practice and 1,074 attended the evening session.