FLOWERY BRANCH — Falcons cornerback Brent Grimes, who went to the Pro Bowl last season as an alternate, is set to have surgery on his right knee Thursday.
Falcons coach Mike Smith said that Grimes will be out indefinitely.
Grimes was having a strong campaign. He’s sixth on the team in tackles with 37 and has 12 passes defensed, an interception, a forced fumble and three special-teams tackles.
Also, cornerback Kelvin Hayden (dislocated toe) is “very doubtful” for Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans, according to Smith.
Dominique Franks is set to start at left cornerback and move inside when the Falcons use their nickel formation. Christopher Owens will move to left cornerback in the nickel.
Owens and Franks were competing for the third cornerback spot in training camp and have been linked in their quest for playing time. Owens cracked the lineup briefly, but mostly they both were relegated to playing on special teams.
Because the Falcons play more than 50 percent of the time in the nickel defense, the spots they are filling are considered starters by the coaching staff.
Owens won the training camp battle with Franks and opened the season as the nickel back. He suffered a concussion against Green Bay on Oct. 9, and Hayden, who was signed just before the start of the season on Sept. 1, took over.
Hayden played well and was awarded a game ball for his showing against his former team, the Indianapolis Colts on Nov. 6. He appeared to have the position locked up until he suffered the dislocated toe against Tennessee two weeks later.
Owens, who was picked in the third round of the 2009 draft, had a strong rookie season and finished as a starter at left cornerback. He had a bumpy second season, which ended with his bad outing in the playoffs against Green Bay.
“He played better on Sunday,” defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder said. “But it’s been an inconsistent year for him. Again, he did play better and we’ve just got to get keep working on improving each and every week.”
Smith is a strong supporter of Owens.
“When you play corner in this league, I think you’re going to have some plays that you like and some plays that you don’t,” Smith said. “I like his attitude. I like the way he competes, and we’re moving forward with the guys that are healthy to play this week.”
Franks, a fifth-round draft pick in 2010, played 58 snaps against the Vikings.
“He’d be the first to tell you that he had a number of mistakes,” VanGorder said. “He’s a very good athlete and a smart football player. He’ll take the experience from Sunday, correct some things and keep improving.”
Rookie cornerback Darrin Walls, an undrafted rookie free agent from Notre Dame who has been inactive for all 11 games, is the only other healthy cornerback on the roster. He likely will be active against Houston. If two cornerbacks get injured, the Falcons will be in a bind.
With Grimes out, the secondary should receive a break because they are set to see rookie quarterbacks over the next three games. On Sunday, T.J. Yates, a fifth-round pick from Pope High who played at North Carolina, is set to start for the Texans. Cam Newton is set to start for Carolina the next Sunday, followed by Blaine Gabbert for Jacksonville on Dec. 15.
While the Texans will start Yates at quarterback, the Falcons still must cover Andre Johnson, who’s considered one of the top wide receivers in the NFL.
“To make a long story short, we’ve got our hands full,” Owens said.
