Help wanted: Falcons seeking ‘bus drivers’

However, if they are going to improve on their 8-8 record and challenge Carolina in the NFC South, the Falcons will need more players to develop and become contributors on the final 53-man roster.

Over the six weeks of training camp and exhibition games before they open the season against Tampa Bay on Sept. 11 at the Georgia Dome, the Falcons are looking for more players to step forward.

“I call those guys the bus drivers,” Falcons assistant head coach/wide receivers Raheem Morris said. The stars will be on the bus, but the team needs some others to drive.

The Falcons want to develop some depth, believing that they will only be as strong as the their weakest link.

“Immediately, when I think about it, I think about a guy like Elbert Mack, who came in as a free agent on my teams in Tampa,” Morris said. “He made the squad and eventually became a starter. I remember that the bus kept being driven by a guy named Elbert Mack.”

Defensive back Corey Ivy, an undrafted 5-foot-8 cornerback, was another bus driver for Morris in Tampa in 2001. He made the team and went on to play nine years in the NFL.

“The bus is always driven by a guy like Corey Ivy or a young guy,” Morris said. “Now, it’s being driven by a young guy like (wide receiver) Justin Hardy, who’s in his second year and moving up.”

Hardy impressed the coaching staff last season with how he learned the playbook and with his play on special teams. He was fearless and willing to hit. The Falcons are expecting him to continue to contribute on special teams while adding some quality depth behind Jones and Mohamed Sanu.

There are several other bus driver candidates on the training camp roster.

Falcons coach Dan Quinn wants Beasley, cornerback Jalen Collins, running back Tevin Coleman, defensive tackle Grady Jarrett and free safety Robenson Therezie to step up from being role players to become major contributors.

Last season, Therezie and running back Terron Ward made the opening day roster as undrafted rookies. Defensive tackle Joey Mbu, another undrafted prospect, made the practice squad and was promoted to the roster on Dec. 11. Wide receiver Nick Williams and linebacker Allen Bradford also made the roster as veteran long shots.

Over the offseason, wide receiver J.D. McKissic, an undrafted rookie from Arkansas State, made an impression on Morris.

“He has gotten here and worked as hard as he can,” Morris said. “He has had his ups and his downs like you expect from most rookies. But he has a nice natural learning curve going for himself and he has been able to move to multiple positions.”

Cornerback C.J. Goodwin, a former practice squad wide receiver, will also be closely watched. Goodwin, who is 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, was used in practice at cornerback last season and went against Jones.

“Guarding Julio Jones is not the easiest job on the planet,” Quinn said. “We said, ‘We might have something here.’”

Defensive coordinator Richard Smith spoke highly of linebacker LaRoy Reynolds, who’s set to enter his fifth year in the league. He was signed to a one-year $675,000 deal after playing with Jacksonville and Chicago last season.

“He’s going to push hard,” Smith said. “Not only is he a really good special teams player, but he’s been making plays on the ball. He’s really impressed me.”

The Falcons believe linebacker Ivan McLennan, an undrafted rookie from Washington State, has some pass-rush ability, which will be evaluated in exhibition games.

Defensive back Brian Poole, an undrafted free agent signed in April, played in 49 career games for Florida, making 120 total tackles and 8.5 tackles for loss with six interceptions.

“We want to go out there and out-run people and out-hit people,” Morris said. “We want to go out there and out-compete people.”