With the opening of the Falcons' training camp just days away, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution will take a look at some key positions every day through Thursday. Today: the wide receivers.
The players report for training camp Wednesday and take the field for the first practice at 10:40 a.m. the next day.
The key question
Is Roddy White ready to yield the No. 1 receiver spot to Julio Jones?
Over the past three seasons, Falcons wide receiver Roddy White has been one of the more productive players in the NFL.
His 3,947 yards over that span trails only Detroit's Calvin Johnson (4,002) and Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald (3,990). Also, he became the first player in franchise history to post back-to-back 100-catch seasons.
However, White, who hopes that the passing attack will become more diversified with the development of second-year wide receiver Julio Jones, ranks third in the league in drops over the past three seasons, according to profootballfocus.com.
From 2009-11, White's 30 drops are behind only Chicago's Brandon Marshall (35) and New England's Wes Welker (32). During that period, White has been targeted 494 times and has seen 330 catchable passes. Welker is the only player that has seen more catchable passes than White with 439 targets and 363 catchable passes.
Jones looks to make major strides in his second season.
Wide receiver Harry Douglas needs to step up his game. In profootballfocus.com's yards-per-route-run metric, Douglas is one of the worst receivers in the league. Over the past three seasons, he has 801 yards on 881 routes for a .91 ratio. Only Bryant Johnson, who's a free agent, has a lower ratio (.61 on 726 yards and 1,197 routes).
If Douglas can't fulfill the promise that made him a third-round draft pick in 2008, the Falcons have some alternatives. The receiving corps has been quietly restocked. Kerry Meier could be ready for more action, and former free agents Drew Davis and Kevin Cone appear to be coming along nicely.
Five goals for the wide receivers
1. Eliminate dropped passes.
2. Improve yards after the catch.
3. Provide more explosive plays.
4. Continue to block downfield in the run game.
5. Do their part in the screen game.
Here's a look at the wide receivers:
White: White's touchdown catches have dropped over the past three seasons, from 11 to 10 to eight.
Jones: Hamstring injures slowed him, but Jones still led the rookie class with eight touchdown catches.
Douglas: He caught a career-high 39 passes last season for 498 yards and one touchdown.
Meier: Played mostly on special teams. Still looking for his first NFL catch.
Davis: He is an extremely fluid route runner and appears to have some deep speed.
Cone: The Georgia Tech product made the team last season after signing as a free agent.
Michael Calvin: He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.32 seconds at California's 2012 Pro Day. His time would have been the fastest at the NFL scouting combine.
Marcus Jackson: He with 65 catches for 1,159 yards during his two seasons at Lamar.
James Rodgers: Finished his career at Oregon State as one of the top receivers in school history.
Kenny Stafford: He was invited back after receiving a rookie tryout.
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