On film, Chris Redman looked good as the Falcons starting quarterback over the final four games last season.

New Falcons coach Mike Smith, and his overhauled coaching staff, will see Redman in person, beginning Monday at a three-day mini-camp. What they want to know is if Redman is good enough to be the starter again in the fall.

"This will give us the opportunity to confirm some of the thoughts we may have on personnel — or it may change our minds," Smith said. "We'll meet and maybe we'll say, 'We have to do some things [in the draft/trades/free-agency] or maybe we really don't because we feel comfortable where our roster is.' As we go through this, what we'll see will spark discussion if we feel we'll need to go in different directions."

Teams that hire new coaches get an additional mini-camp to add to the two offseason camps the NFL allots every team. The Falcons opted to put 67 veteran players through a non-contact session now to help shape how they'll use their 11 picks in the April 26-27 draft.

How Redman — and backup Joey Harrington — perform could determine whether Atlanta uses the No. 3 overall pick on a quarterback, like Boston College's Matt Ryan. Instead, they could address their offensive (Jake Long) or defensive (Glenn Dorsey) lines. The workouts won't be the sole criteria for player evaluation, especially for linemen who can't exhibit their physicality. However, they will matter.

"This is very big for us to see them this first time," Smith said.

There will be subplots at every position. Smith is trying to ratchet up competition to see which players he wants around — and which players want to be around.

At wide receiver, upstart Laurent Robinson will push Michael Jenkins and Joe Horn to be Roddy White's main accomplice. Free-agent tailback Michael Turner will get his first crack at being a full-time starter. Von Hutchins, David Irons and Brent Grimes will vie to step in for left cornerback DeAngelo Hall and safety Jimmy Williams will show whether he's ready to play after two seasons living on potential.

A depth chart has been set but by the time training camp opens in late summer. It could be as relevant as a $3 bill, especially after the draft, where several rookies are expected to become starters and rotational players right away.

This mini-camp also is going to put tremendous emphasis on the kicking game, Smith said. He noted that former Brookwood product and long-time Denver kicker Jason Elam will factor into the workouts.

"We are going to spend a lot of time working on special teams," Smith said. "A lot of coaches say that but this is something I and the coaches feel strongly about."

Some players are recovering from injuries and surgeries and have not been cleared to participate in the mini-camp. Linebacker Keith Brooking (knee surgery), offensive tackle Todd Weiner (knee surgery), wide receiver Brian Finneran (knee surgery), quarterback D.J. Shockley (knee surgery) and nose tackle Trey Lewis (knee surgery) are among that group.