Collins gives Falcons’ secondary options

Falcons cornerback Jalen Collins, who was forced to start down the stretch last season, quietly went about his offseason.

With the return of starting left cornerback Desmond Trufant, the Falcons now have some quality depth at the position.

“That’s the cool part,” Falcons defensive coordinator Marquand Manuel said. “Now you have a guy who can play dime. He can play outside. He has more value to the team.”

Collins slid down the depth chart after he was suspended for the first four games of last season. The former second-round pick from LSU stayed ready until Trufant suffered a torn pectoral injury and was placed on injured reserve.

Collins started the final six games of the regular season and three playoff games. He played 428 defensive snaps (38.3 percent) during the regular season. He compiled 48 tackles, including 10 in the Super Bowl, 12 pass breakups and two interceptions.

About the Author

Falcons need to get Bijan Robinson some room to run

The Falcons must figure out a way to get Robinson back into open space when they play the Carolina Panthers at 1 p.m. Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Falcons’ struggling run defense has to stop Rico Dowdle on Sunday

The Falcons are preparing for a heavy dose of running backs Rico Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard on Sunday, who have helped power the Panthers to second place in the NFC South.

Falcons’ D.J. Williams shuts down talk of Penix Jr. lacking support

Some on social media misconstrued a question about who Penix leans on in tough times into a wild notion that he didn’t have any support on the team.

The Latest

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Falcons need to get Bijan Robinson some room to run

Falcons’ struggling run defense has to stop Rico Dowdle on Sunday

Falcons’ D.J. Williams shuts down talk of Penix Jr. lacking support

Featured

Credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images

Prosecutor takes helm of Georgia case against Trump. But will he move forward?

A veteran Georgia prosecutor will decide the fate of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis' election interference case against Donald Trump and his allies.

With some solar power tax breaks expiring, Georgians rush to catch the sun

Georgia solar installers say they’re seeing a surge of customers trying to install rooftop solar systems before federal tax credits go away at the end of the year.

‘Automatic for the People’: Weaver D’s still bonds Athens as era nears end

After feeding everyone from R.E.M. to Brian Kemp, and coining a phrase that went global, Dexter Weaver is preparing to close his storied Athens soul food restaurant.