FLOWERY BRANCH — Falcons starting right cornerback Dunta Robinson, who suffered a hamstring injury and has not practiced since Aug. 14, likely will not play against Pittsburgh on Saturday.
Robinson’s injury is not as severe as the pulled hamstring he suffered last season during training camp that knocked him out of about 30 practices.
Robinson worked out with members of the training staff during practice Tuesday, and after practice, Falcons coach Mike Smith said Robinson “is making improvement.”
With Smith out, Dominique Franks appears set to start his second game of the exhibition season. Franks, a second-year player, is battling with Christopher Owens at nickel back.
While Robinson remains out, linebackers Akeem Dent (knee) and Robert James (groin) returned to practice. Dent and James did not play against Jacksonville.
Mughelli helps Cox
Fullback Lucas Cox, an undrafted rookie free agent from Georgia Tech, has played in both exhibition games, and starting fullback Ovie Mughelli has taken him under his wings.
“What a better mentor to have than a Pro Bowl fullback,” Cox said. “He helps break down the details of a play that you can’t quite go over in a meeting with seven or eight guys. He’s definitely a great mentor to have.”
Cox said he heard a few cheers during the home game against Miami.
“That was definitely nice,” Cox said. “I know I have a lot of people down here rooting for me.”
Cox and other NFL prospects were disappointed when Tech’s Pro Day was rained out in March, and the players had to work out indoors on a basketball court.
“We were running on a basketball floor and trying to catch passes through a basketball hoop,” Cox said. “We made it work. I’m here now.”
Cox and the rest of the Falcons’ rookies are trying to make an impression without the benefit of offseason work that was taken away because of the NFL lockout.
“Learning that playbook in two weeks before we played Miami was not easy,” Cox said. “You had to sit there and grind every day from 6 a.m. to midnight.”
Walls is solid
Cornerback Darrin Walls, an undrafted rookie free agent from Notre Dame, continues to impress with some strong play. Smith cited his play on special teams, in particular on the punt protection unit.
“He’s competing for a position on this roster,” Smith said. “He needs to continue doing what he’s doing on special teams and continue to learn the defensive scheme.”
Cone catches on
Kevin Cone, a former Georgia Tech wide receiver who played at St. Pius, is adjusting from the triple-option to a pro offense.
“It’s completely different,” said Cone, who caught five passes for 89 yards and one touchdown for the Yellow Jackets last season. “When I was at Shorter, I was in an offense just like Georgia Tech, and we ran the triple option. To actually be a receiver and running routes is fun.”
Cone caught the Falcons’ attention when he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.37 seconds at Tech’s indoor Pro Day.
Etc.
The Falcons pumped in crowd noise for portions of their practice. ... The Falcons, who have 90 players on the roster, must cut down to 80 players by Tuesday. The team likely will cut down over the weekend because they play their final exhibition game Sept. 1 against Baltimore at the Georgia Dome. They must be down to the 53-man roster by Sept. 3. ... The Falcons reached an injury settlement with tight end Justin Peelle, who suffered a severe knee injury in the exhibition opener against Miami.
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