Just about every year before training camp opens, Falcons coach Mike Smith makes his grand “it’s an open competition” speech.
With the team trying to rebound from a dismal 4-12 season, there is indeed “open competition” all over the roster this season.
When pressed, Smith admits that perhaps only the quarterback spot is set in stone.
Here are five key positions that will be up for grabs when the Falcons open training camp with 90 players vying for 53 rosters spots on Friday.
Center: This is perhaps the most critical position battle.
If defenders are sitting in quarterback Matt Ryan’s lap like they were last season, a turnaround in 2014 would be next to impossible.
Peter Konz was given 907 snaps (289 run blocking, 618 pass blocking), according to profootballfocus.com, and could not hold the position. He gave up six sacks, three hits and 33 quarterback hurries.
When the coaching staff finally made the move to Joe Hawley, things started to stabilize. Hawley played 533 snaps (194 run blocking, 359 pass blocking). He didn’t give up a sack, but he did allow three quarterback hits and 10 hurries.
Hawley was rated 14 points higher than Konz in pass blocking and 17 points higher in run blocking in profootballfocus.com’s blocking-efficiency ratings.
Unless Konz has made major improvements in the weight room, and with his ability to communicate assignments to the group, he could end up as the backup center and swing guard.
Free safety: Many observers wonder how safety Thomas DeCoud went from the Pro Bowl to temporarily unemployed in one season. (He was picked up immediately by the Carolina Panthers.)
The Falcons eventually could replace him with Dezmen Southward, a third-round draft pick from Wisconsin. He will have to beat out veteran Dwight Lowery, who appears to be the better option.
“The biggest thing is we need a safety to start, and that’s what he’s competing for,” defensive coordinator Mike Nolan said of Lowery. “Hopefully, he’s that guy.”
Tight end: The Falcons plan to take the committee approach to replacing Tony Gonzalez's productivity.
Gonzalez averaged 81.8 catches over five seasons with the Falcons. Of his 409 catches, 267 went for first downs (65.2 percent).
The Falcons signed Bear Pascoe in free agency, and Levine Toilolo returns for his second season. Also, Mickey Shuler, Jacob Pedersen and Brian Wozniak are on the roster.
Toilolo, who had an undisclosed injury and was limited in offseason workouts, will be the starter. Pascoe mostly is a blocking tight end.
“It will be spread through the tight ends and then throughout the wide receivers,” said offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter of replacing Gonzalez’s productivity. “There will be some more runs in there and then more (passes) to the running backs.”
Nickel back: Robert McClain, 26, who opened last season as the starting nickel back, had a strong offseason.
But the competition to play in the slot will be fierce. The Falcons signed Josh Wilson and Javier Arenas. They drafted Ricardo Allen and safety Dezmen Southward.
Wilson, 29, has played right cornerback over most of his seven-year pro career. Arenas, 26, a second-round pick out of Alabama in 2010, has played in the slot.
Southward played some nickel at Wisconsin. At 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, he would be an option against bigger receivers or when the Saints place tight end Jimmy Graham inside. He could allow the Falcons to play some big nickel schemes with three safeties.
It would be wise to keep an eye on Allen, too.
He was drafted to be a nickel back and was a ball-hawk at Purdue. He had 13 interceptions and 22 pass breakups over his career. In 2013, he had eight interceptions.
Linebacker: Paul Worrilow and Joplo Bartu, both undrafted rookie free agents, ended last season as starters. Worrilow led the Falcons in tackles with 137. Bartu was third with 96.
Last season, Worrilow played 491 snaps and missed eight tackles at inside linebacker and was ranked 45th in the league by profootballfocus.com. He played 309 snaps at outside linebacker, had four missed tackles and ranked 25th in the league.
Bartu played 789 snaps at outside linebacker, had 12 missed tackles and ranked 22nd in the league.
“I think that’s going be a very interesting dynamic,” Smith said.
The Falcons also plan to force-feed information to fourth-round pick Prince Shembo, who has a shot to crack the starting lineup.
“We’ve got Prince Shembo, who we are very excited about,” Smith said. “He’s picked up the system very well. He doesn’t have any experience, but we will get him a lot, I can assure you that, in the (exhibition) season.”
