Foxworth wants to contribute more to Falcons

Flowery Branch — Falcons cornerback Domonique Foxworth, acquired from Denver in a trade five days before the season opener, is not sure why the team made the deal.

Foxworth has played less than five snaps from scrimmage, was inactive for one game and is playing solely on special teams.

Chris Houston (a second-year cornerback), Brent Grimes (essentially a rookie), and Chevis Jackson (a rookie) are the team’s top three cornerbacks.

Foxworth, a third-round pick by Denver in 2005, learned at the feet of former Georgia great Champ Bailey while with the Broncos. Foxworth started 18 games and played in 48 before joining the Falcons.

“I have a ton of experience for my age, so I’m just trying to do my best to share my experience, my knowledge and things I learned from Champ [Bailey] with the other guys,” Foxworth said. “Right now I feel like I’m more of a mentor than a player.”

Not being counted on to play is a new experience for Foxworth.

“It’s difficult,” Foxworth said. “I’ve never been active for a game and not played. I have been since I’ve been here. It’s difficult, but you don’t trade for somebody if you don’t want them.”

When it became clear that Denver was loaded in the secondary and that Foxworth was the odd man out, several teams expressed interested in trading for him. Kansas City, Houston, the New York Jets and Tampa Bay were among them.

Falcons coach Mike Smith expects Foxworth to earn his way onto the field some time this season.

“He’s taking in the system,” Smith said. “We are trying to integrate him in. I don’t see that he won’t play. It’s just a matter of him learning the system. He came from a completely different system than what we run.”

Other players acquired at the beginning of the season have already hit the field. Tight end Justin Peelle played in the season opener against Detroit, but he was familiar with the offensive scheme because he played for offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey the past two seasons in Miami.

Safety Jamaal Fudge backs up Lawyer Milloy and played a few plays last week against Carolina. He played the past two seasons for Smith in Jacksonville and knows the scheme.

Smith understands that Foxworth is in a difficult spot.

“Yeah, I’m sure that it is,” Smith said. “Any time that you change teams, it’s a difficult transition, but Domonique has done everything that we’ve asked. He’s doing everything in his power to get out there on the field.”

While Foxworth wants to be on the field, he sees some logic in the Falcons’ plans.

“They wouldn’t have traded for me if they didn’t want me here,” Foxworth said. “I assume the fact that I haven’t played yet is that they expect me to be a long-term solution here, and they don’t want to rush me.

“If they’d thrown me in on the first day, it would be more about finding out what I could do. I think they know what I can do. I think they are waiting for the right time to utilize me.”

Foxworth becomes an unrestricted free agent after this season. Teams want to see cornerbacks in coverage, not on the sidelines, so each game he doesn’t play costs him an opportunity to increase his free-agency value.

“It’s not what’s best for me as an individual,” Foxworth said. “What’s best for me is to get out there, make plays and make interceptions and then hit the open market.

“They brought me here, so I have to trust in the coaching staff and front office that they’ll do what’s fair and what’s right. I’m in no position to demand anything. I’d like to get out there and show what I can do.”

So while he continues to learn the intricacies of the Falcons’ defense, Foxworth is embracing his role of scout-team cornerback and mentor.

“I think I do a pretty good job of giving them a better look that they are going to see on Sunday,” Foxworth said. “I think I’m a better corner than the ones we’ve been facing. Right now, that’s my role on this team.”

Foxworth plans to be ready when Smith and defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder call his number.

“It’s not even that my head is getting down,” Foxworth said. “It’s just that I’m on this team and I’m rowing this boat with the rest of these guys. Now I have a little paddle and my responsibility is very small, which is to help these young guys learn and help the offense prepare.

“As the season goes on, I hope to get a bigger paddle and be more a part of pushing this team to victory.”