Atlanta Falcons

Jan 13, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) throws against the Atlanta Falcons during the second quarter of the NFC divisional playoff game at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports Quarterback — Russell Wilson (24) After being selected out of Wisconsin in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft, quarterback Russell Wilson won the starting QB job in Seattle and became a star almost instantly. In his rookie season, Wilson threw for over 3,000 yards, 26 touchdowns, and just 10 interceptions. He also rushed for 489 yards and four more touchdowns. Wilson is a playmaker, plain and simple. He is a smart quarterback with a ton of ability and I fully expect him to be a top 10 fantasy football quarterback in 2013. This is a player you are going to want to get your hands on early in your draft, so make sure you strategize a good spot to get him. With dual threat quarterbacks really trending across the NFL, don’t be surprised if Wilson goes in the first round of some drafts, depending on the formatting of the league. Primary backups — Brady Quinn, Tarvaris Jackson

Still a long shot to make the 53 man roster, Brian Banks is apparently trending in the right direction during mini-camp. There’s reason for Banks’ confidence as the countdown to training camp continues. Every day after practice, linebackers coach Glenn Pires will present his players with a sheet of paper that is used for corrective purposes. It shows all of the linebackers’ mistakes and where they succeeded. After Day 1 of minicamp, Banks came in to the linebackers meeting to read his sheet: “Good, good, good, good, good,” Banks said, in every category. So he's doing what they're asking him to, and he apparently handles constructive criticism very well. That won't land him on the roster, even if the Falcons are willing to give him an extended look. You just can't understate the significance of what Banks has missed. That said, it's not like the Falcons have a wealth of linebacking depth. The opportunity is there, but he will need to beat out a vet or two and several UDFAs to get that roster spot. It's possible, however unlikely. Your thoughts?

View photos from today's minicamp session: #RiseUp

VIDEO: Falcons wide receivers putting in work: #RiseUp

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Steven Jackson is still trying to feel his way through his first offseason with the Atlanta Falcons.Click to Continue »

Atlanta Falcons WR Julio Jones has cut beef and pork out of his diet over the past year and feels "much better. Especially playing football, I feel that stuff sits on you." He also now prefers organic over regular food while also taking advice from the team nutritionist. Huddle Up: Jones was already a beast; leaner, meaner, and more muscular should serve him well in 2013. He's already holding a lofty perch among fantasy wideouts so it would be tough to push him up further, but at least you know he won't show up for camp out of shape.

The Buffalo Bills are already looking for ways to explain what will presumably be another dismal season in 2013. Chris Brown, the Lead Journalist for the team's official website, investigated the Bills' schedule for the upcoming year and discovered they are at a disadvantage based on the extra rest and prep time opponents will have before playing them. Almost a third of the #Bills 2013 schedule puts them at a disadvantage thanks to #NFL scheduling. Read why: http://t.co/zGgzsIGT4L — Buffalo Bills (@buffalobills) June 19, 2013 This wasn't well-received by everyone, though. Bills continue to tweet/blog about how unfair their schedule is. In June. Bad look. — Tim Graham (@ByTimGraham) June 19, 2013 I promise this isn't a post entirely dedicated to the Bills; it was just a bit comical. But Brown also pointed out the Atlanta Falcons are close to being in the same boat. Jay Adams decided to delve into the topic, and he found out why the Falcons' schedule is a bit more challenging than how it appears at first glance. (Notice he doesn't complain about unfair scheduling but simply says it's a challenge.) Adams found out that four teams will have extra rest before playing the Falcons in 2013. Take a look. Arizona Cardinals - The Cardinals host Seattle on Thursday Night Football on Oct. 17 and will get about 10 days to prepare to face the Falcons on Oct. 27 (Week 8). Carolina Panthers - The first meeting between the Falcons and Panthers will allow Carolina to, also, come off about 10 days' preparation after they face Tampa Bay on Thursday Night Football on Oct. 24. The Falcons travel to Carolina for a Week 9 matchup. Buffalo Bills - The Falcons will get some extra rest themselves, facing New Orleans on Thursday Night Football on Nov. 21, before traveling to Toronto to play the Bills, but the Bills will be coming off their bye week. Green Bay Packers - The week after playing Buffalo, the Falcons will travel to Green Bay for a Dec. 8 Sunday Night Football date with the Packers. Green Bay, however, will be coming off their Thursday Night Football game and get extra rest before hosting Atlanta. Which opponents had extra rest in 2012, and how did the Falcons fare against them last season? 1) Kansas City, Week 1: Typical NFL, giving teams extra rest right of the bat before they play the Falcons. Atlanta easily came away with a victory at Arrowhead, even though the Chiefs had like the whole preseason and training camp to prepare. 2) Carolina, Week 4: The Panthers were embarrassed by the Giants on Thursday night, 10 days prior to playing the Falcons. This set up a closely contested game at the Dome, but Atlanta emerged with a 30-28 win after Matt Bryant's 40-yard field goal with five seconds left. 3) Oakland, Week 6: Coming off their bye week, Carson Palmer gave the Falcons defense a bit of a scare. But Bryant came through again with a 55-yarder at the end of the fourth quarter. Atlanta won 23-20. 4) Philadelphia, Week 8: Another team with a bye week to prepare for the Falcons, the Eagles looked awful on that dreary October afternoon. Atlanta was up 24-7 at halftime, and it basically cruised from there. 5) Arizona, Week 11: The Cardinals were the third team coming off a bye week to play the Falcons next. Matt Ryan threw five interceptions, the team rushed for 58 yards and Atlanta still won 23-19. Watching the combo of Ryan Lindley and John Skelton provided a few laughs. So, five games against opponents with extra prep time, five wins. Maybe the Falcons don't consider this such a disadvantage. For 2013, look at their opponents that have more time off. The Cardinals and Bills? The NFL should consider giving these two teams a month off before they play the Falcons. Matchups with Carolina always seem to be interesting, but we saw Atlanta win in the same scenario last season. As for the Packers, well, that game may be problematic. Green Bay is tough no matter what the situation, though.

Jun 18, 2013; Flowery Branch, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons cornerback Desmond Trufant (21) runs through a drill during Minicamp at the Falcons Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports Minnie Camps are heating up in Flowery Branch.  Although there are no pads, we can catch a cool glimpse as to what the player are going to look like once the season comes around.  This speaks a lot more for certain players than others.  Obviously when you aren’t in pads, you won’t be able to see how good the defensive or offensive line will do, and if you can’t tackle or lower your shoulder, you won’t be able to see how the running backs are doing.  I’m sure Steven Jackson and Jacquizz Rodgers looks great so far, as does the lineman and linebackers, but we won’t be able to see them perform until training camp. As for Matt Ryan, he doesn’t look like he lost any arm strength.  Julio Jones and Roddy White are catching balls easily.  In Tony Gonzalez’s absence, Chase Coffman is looking like a superstar.  We saw him catch a ball against Seattle in the playoffs last year that made him look like a starter and is really showing off his stuff in camp. The real good stuff, however, is how well Desmond Trufant (who just started after having to wait to graduate before he could start practicing) and Robert Alford (2nd round pick) are doing.  It’s obvious that Trufant is slated to be the starting outside corner while Alford will probably rotate in and out of the corner positions, but while Trufant is passing expectations (which are a lot for a first round pick) Alford seems like he is giving him and McClain a run for their money as the starter. What are your early thoughts on these two rookies?

Osi Umenyiora Last week, I broke down Falcons free agent pickup in running back Steven Jackson. This week it’s time to look at the team’s other big off-season addition in defensive end Osi Umenyiora. Umenyiora has big shoes to fill, because most are expecting him to take the mantle from John Abraham as the team’s top and most feared pass rusher. Abraham gave the Falcons six and a half excellent seasons, logging 68.5 sacks, which tops their all-time list among official stats. Claude Humphrey, unofficially has 94.5 career sacks in a Falcons uniform, but his career ended before sacks became an official stat in 1982. Umenyiora is coming off a down year in New York with only 6 sacks, tying his career low since he became a starter in 2004. But the Falcons are optimistic that he can have a resurgence with a change in scenery, particularly given that Atlanta is the place that Osi calls home in the off-season. Similar to Abraham, a native of South Carolina, after moving down from the Big Apple, playing in front of friends and family was perhaps a factor in his success. But first we should take a look at Osi’s skillset. Here’s my breakdown, with a grading system based on a ten-point scale: 1-pathetic, 2-poor, 3-weak, 4-below average, 5-average, 6-above average, 7-good, 8-very good, 9-excellent, 10-elite. SKILLS Strength: 5.5 – He knows how to convert speed to power in order to bull rush off the edge. He shows the ability to use that power move to work the unsuspecting tackle back into the quarterback. But he’s not overly strong and struggles to disengage from blocks, particularly in the run game. His lack of strength shows when he is facing bigger tackles that are also technically sound. Quickness: 7.5 – Osi still possesses a good first step off the edge that is maximized when he can line up in wider techniques. When he can pin his ears back, he is a formidable speed rusher off the edge that does most of his damage that way. But he no longer has the explosive burst he once did and isn’t a threat to beat the better tackles in the league purely with his speed. Pass Rush: 8.0 – He makes his money as a pass rusher that has an array of moves to get to the quarterback. As mentioned before, he shows he can bull rush from time to time. He also has showcased an inside counter move, which is often a spin. It’s not quite on par with say Dwight Freeney, but it can be effective from time to time. He’s at his most comfortable rushing the quarterback when his ears are pinned back and he can go out and hunt using his edge speed. Point of Attack: 5.0 – Umenyiora is not particularly strong or good at the point of attack. While he can be effective using his hands to disengage from tight ends and make stops there, most of his plays against the run come in pursuit and out in space. He’s not a guy you want trying to hold or set the edge when teams run at him, because he rarely makes plays there. Recognition: 6.0 – At times he seems to be a bit too dialed in trying to get upfield and will misread some plays, such as draws and screens. He has enough athleticism to drop into coverage and be effective in the flat and able to keep things in front of him, but he doesn’t have quite the experience or awareness to think he’d be very effective doing that to a large degree. Motor: 5.5 – Osi’s motor seems to run hot and cold at times. There are times when he’s dialed in and he’s running all over the field, and there are other times where you see him jogging quite a bit and seems disinterested, especially when he’s asked to try and play the run a lot. It’s not to suggest his motor is poor, it’s just that he’s not going to be relentless and is more willing to pick and choose his spots. OVERVIEW It’s going to be hard for me not to compare Osi with Abraham, which probably isn’t fair to Osi. But as mentioned earlier

The weather forecast was not good for yesterday's minicamp, but the clouds lifted about an hour before practice was scheduled to begin, and the official Atlanta Falcons Twitter account announced that the gates were open and practice was on, so I made my way to Flowery Branch to get an in-person look at the 2013 Falcons. Unfortunately, the weather wouldn't hold. About 40 minutes into practice, the skies opened up, practice was moved inside, and the whole thing was closed to the public. I don't have much of a recap to share today, but there were a few things I saw prior to practice being closed that are worth sharing. While practice remained open, fans got to see the team go through a variety of drills to work on agility and fundamentals. After that, they progressed through their normal stretching regimen, and then the offense and defense hit the field for 11-on-11 drills. The main thing I noticed was that the guys were eager to hit the field. There was a lot of obvious excitement on both sides of the ball when the 11-on-11 drills began. I primarily focused on the offense yesterday--typically I try to spend some time watching both sides of the ball, but practice closed before I got an opportunity to focus on the defense. Matt Ryan looks fine after the shoulder injury that hindered his performance in the NFC Championship Game. We've been told over and over again that it had healed fully and well, but--and maybe this is just me--I feel better after seeing with my own eyes that there is no lingering issue with the non-throwing shoulder. It was fun to see Steven Jackson in action for the first time. Watching Jackson move through drills, there's a fluidity and quickness to Jackson that Michael Turner, bless his heart, did not have. In 11-on-11 drills, the first play from scrimmage was a handoff to Jackson, and--bearing in mind that no contact is permitted during minicamp, per the current CBA--he looks pretty explosive out of the backfield. Fourth round draft choice Levine Toilolo is so tall that it doesn't even make sense. Toilolo was standing next to Matt Ryan, and he towers over Ryan, who is 6'4". Phillipkeith Manley has definitely gained weight. Not 70 pounds, because that never made sense, but 17 pounds is not out of the realm of possibility. It was harder to tell from photos, and was more obvious in person. Dominique Davis was running the second-team offense in 11-on-11 drills, and looked good. He has really good instincts and he's evasive. He can throw on the run and hit his target. I will be back at practice today, as long as the weather cooperates, and I'll get a closer look at the defense. Do you have any questions about the first day of minicamp? What do you want to know from today's practice?