Falcons' Lofton hopes to have a bigger impact

In his seventh NFL game, rookie Falcons linebacker Curtis Lofton made his read then raced to the quarterback.

He violently placed his shoulder pads in Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb's chest and caused a fumble.

It was an impactful play.

That was 2008. Last season, Lofton continued to develop and was not removed from the game on third downs as he was as rookie.

He led the Falcons in tackles with 160 (118 solo and 42 assists), according to the coaches' film breakdown. He had four tackles for loss, one quarterback hurry, two pass breakups and two forced fumbles.

It was a stellar showing that led to Lofton being mentioned as a Pro Bowl candidate.

Lofton has attended the team's offseason workout program, with the hope of improving in 2010 and possibly landing that elusive Pro Bowl berth.

"One thing that separates me from the guys that went to the Pro Bowl was they made more game-changing plays than I did," Lofton said. "I've got to impact the game better by getting interceptions and sacks."

Lofton played a major role in solidifying the team's run defense, which ranked 10th in the league (106.8 yards per game). The Falcons went 6-2 in games when they held the opponents to under 100 yards rushing, and Lofton had 19 tackles against New England.

"The tackles are going to be there, that’s a given," Lofton said.

Lofton is not the only player participating in the "voluntary" offseason workouts. He estimated attendance to be around 95 percent.

Coach Mike Smith's message to the team was that they played at a high level only at times last season, but going forward they'll need to strive to play consistently at a high level.

"During the games, we'd go first and second down and shut them down," Lofton said. "Then on third down we'll have a lapse, and they'll get a first down. We just have to get off the field. That's one thing we didn't do last year."

While Lofton was strong against the run, he wants to get better at defending the pass.

He's also watching his weight.

"I have got to drop a couple of pounds to get back to where I feel comfortable playing at," Lofton said. "Then I just want to put on some lean body mass, get some strength and get an extra burst."

The Falcons have spent a great deal of time and resources addressing their secondary this offseason.