Falcons DE Anderson working to improve

By D. ORLANDO LEDBETTER

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Flowery Branch — Searching for a way to increase his meager sack count, defensive end Jamaal Anderson is going back to the drawing board.

“We are teaching him some new pass-rush techniques that he’s trying to do,” defensive line coach Ray Hamilton said Tuesday. “He’s coming along well with those.”

Anderson, the No. 8th pick in the 2007 draft, has struggled at rushing the passer and has recorded only two sacks in 31 starts.

“Preseason is a learning time,” Hamilton said. “He’s trying to learn some new techniques. ... That’s where we are with that. There are some things we’ve asked him to do. He’s adapting to it pretty well.”

Anderson is in a heated battle with Chauncey Davis to retain his starting position.

Davis was re-signed over the offseason to a four-year contract worth $14 million, including $8 million in the first two years.

Davis outperformed Anderson with four sacks in much fewer snaps last season.

“It’s a good competition between Chauncey and Jamaal,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said. “Both of those guys are guys that we feel very good about.”

Smith would not say who was in the lead to start opposite right end John Abraham, who set a franchise mark with 16.5 sacks last season.

The Falcons would like to get at least eight sacks at left end.