Adam Caplan of FOX Sports tweeted late Sunday night that the Falcons had agreed to trade offensive lineman Quinn Ojinnaka to the New England Patriots. Later reports established that the agreed compensation is an undisclosed draft choice.

Ojinnaka was a 2006 draft pick by the Falcons out of Syracuse. In four seasons with the Falcons, he played in 39 games, starting 12. Last season, he started 5 games at right guard in place of an injured Harvey Dahl. In 2007, he started 7 games at left tackle as an injury replacement for Wayne Gandy. Ojinnaka has experience playing all five offensive line positions, and adds depth and insurance for the New England Patriots due to a lengthy contract holdout from left guard Logan Mankins, and a recent injury to his replacement Nick Kaczur.

Ojinnaka is set to serve a single game suspension this season stemming from a battery arrest in 2009.

The Falcons depth up front had been improved this off-season with the additions of draft picks Mike Johnson and Joe Hawley. Second-year player Garrett Reynolds had been working throughout the preseason as the first right guard off the bench. Ojinnaka had mainly been working at both tackle positions, but has been pushed by Jose Valdez at right tackle.

While compensation hasn’t been disclosed, most summer trades usually involve conditional late round picks. Usually those conditions are contingent on the traded player making the new team’s final roster.

The Falcons shuffled their depth in the secondary today with the additions of safety Eric Brock and cornerback Dominique Daniels. To make room for the pair, the team released cornerback Daylan Walker according to the AJC’s D. Orlando Ledbetter.

Brock appeared in three total games over the course of the past two seasons with the Falcons, playing solely on special teams. He was cut by the Falcons back in February. Daniels was an undrafted free agent signed this past spring, that was cut back in June. Walker was an undrafted free agent signed by the team in May.

The Falcons needed to address depth in their secondary, as four players were held out of last week’s preseason opener with injuries: corners Dunta Robinson and Brian Williams, and safeties Matt Giordano and William Moore. On Sunday, the Falcons re-signed defensive back Gabe Derricks.

The Falcons essentially ended their kicking competition today by the release of Steven Hauschka. That leaves Matt Bryant as the sole kicker on the roster and the de facto winner of the roster battle. In other roster moves, the team also cut tight end Colin Peek and re-signed defensive back Gabe Derricks.

Both Hauschka and Bryant each hit one of their two field goal attempts on Friday night’s preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs. However, the team seemingly has opted to go with the more experienced Bryant rather than the younger Hauschka.

Peek was an undrafted rookie signed this past April, but was injured during the first day of training camp practices. Derricks was cut a day later to free up a roster spot for Peek’s replacement, tight end Robbie Agnone. Derricks should add depth at the cornerback position, given that Dunta Robinson and Brian Williams both missed this past week’s preseason contest. He too was originally an undrafted rookie free agent signed this past April.

Jay Adams of Atlanta Falcons.com reports that wide receiver Michael Jenkins will miss 4 to 6 weeks due to a shoulder injury he suffered during this past Friday night’s scrimmage. That puts him out for the rest of camp, and potentially he could miss the first few weeks of the regular season. The team has yet to disclose the exact nature of Jenkins shoulder injury.

It isn’t exactly clear who will fill Jenkins role as the starter during his absence, although Brian Finneran is usually listed as the top backup at the position. Jenkins’ injury likely will mean additional snaps for Harry Douglas, rookie Kerry Meier, and Eric Weems, which should only enhance their readiness for the regular season. It should also cause the Falcons to take a longer look at some of the younger receivers in camp such as Brandyn Harvey, Troy Bergeron, and Ryan Wolfe if Jenkins injury looks to linger into the regular season.

The Pittsburgh Steelers feature a big, physical offensive line. Left tackle Max Starks stands 6’8″ 345 pounds, and left guard Chris Kemoeatu is a wide 6’3″ 344 pounds. They just signed Flozell Adams to potentially replace Willie Colon at right tackle. Adams is no small man at 6’7″ 338. Justin Hartwig is the incumbent center and is 6’5″ 312 pounds. That’s bigger than both Sam Baker and Harvey Dahl. And at right guard, rookie Maurkice Pouncey (6’4″ 304) and Trai Essex (6’5″ 324) are battling it out.

And Babineaux with his quickness had a chance to offset and exploit some of that size. Most downs he would likely be lining up against Chris Kemoeatu, who isn’t exactly known for his pass protection prowess. If Byron Leftwich does win the starting quarterback position in place of a suspended Ben Roethlisberger as most are projecting, that potential pressure up the middle could be very critical to the Falcons success. As most Falcon fans recall from a few years ago, Leftwich’s elongated deliver requires him to be able to step into his throws like a baseball pitcher and pressure up the middle can severely disrupt his windup.

And the Falcons do not have a defensive tackle on this roster that has Babineaux’s quickness and explosive ability off the line. None can match him and be as capable of exploiting the mismatch of the Steelers size vs. the Falcons speed in the middle. And if the Falcons still wish to be able to exploit this potential mismatch they are going to have to rely heavily on second year tackle Peria Jerry.

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First off, let me point out ATLJBO’s excellent highlight video of Chris Owens on YouTube. Because this was what first put the nugget in my head that Owens would win the competition this year at cornerback. What probably stands out to you as you finish the clip, is how good Owens was against the run last year. He made several big hits and good tackles there. I also noticed this in the final weeks of the season when I was recently reviewing games for Moneyball.

This shouldn’t be underestimated. Over the years, tackling has become a lost art among cornerbacks and defensive backs in general. To the point that if and when you come across a corner that does it well, it makes him stand out. This is one of the reasons why the Falcons brass have been so keen on Dunta Robinson over the years.

I also noticed that the times when Owens was beat in coverage, it was largely due to poor footwork and sloppy technique. I believe that new assistant secondary coach Tim Lewis was indicating this when he was interviewed by the AJC back in February and talked specifically about improving these things. If Lewis is successful at getting these corners to improve their technique and footwork, then Owens stands to potentially benefit the most.

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We should expect to see some heavy competition on the backend of the wide receiver position this summer. Roddy White, Michael Jenkins, and Harry Douglas would appear to be locks to make the final roster. The Falcons will likely keep at least five wideouts, so that means that the remaining eight receivers may only be competing for two spots.

The three most likely to land those spots are Brian Finneran, Eric Weems, and Kerry Meier. Finneran is probably ahead of the pack. The coaches love his versatility and veteran savvy. Finn is able and willing to do anything the coaches ask of him, which makes him an ideal reserve. Meier probably has the next best chances because of his status as a draft pick, and he also shows the potential to be a versatile reserve like Finneran in the future. But one shouldn’t discount Weems. His ability to make the roster however may be directly tied to his performance on special teams and return duties. The return of Douglas probably makes his chances of making the final roster a bit tougher.

Among the rest of the group, it’s more likely that Troy Bergeron, Ryan Wolfe, and Brandyn Harvey stand the best odds. Bergeron will have to be all or nothing because his eligibility for the practice squad has expired. Wolfe and Harvey are undrafted free agents with their best chances of making the roster will be if they can impact on special teams coverage. Also in the mix are Andy Strickland and Tim Buckley. Their best chances also will be on their ability to perform on special teams, coupled with their ability to show some explosive playmaking potential in preseason games. But all of them are longshots to make the roster and instead will primarily be competing for a chance to land on the practice squad as the team regularly keeps a wideout there for depth.

Michael Turner and Ovie Mughelli are entrenched as the starters, but the Falcons could see some turnover as far as depth goes. Jason Snelling had a strong finish last year, and it’s possible he could surpass Norwood as the primary backup and third down option. However, more than likely, the team will use and alternate both come the regular season to highlight their strengths and minimize their weaknesses.

The main issue at running back is if the Falcons decide they want to keep another back. Snelling’s ability to play both halfback and fullback means that the team only needs to keep four backs on the roster. But if Antone Smith or Dimitri Nance have strong preseason performances, there is a chance they could land as the fifth roster spot. Smith is more explosive, which probably gives him a slight edge due to the fact that Jerious Norwood may no longer be in the team’s long-term plans. Nance has a good combination of size and speed, and potentially projects a little better as an every-down back. Keys for both players along with their ability to tote the rock will be how they perform in pass protection and on special teams since that is likely to be their role if they make it to the regular season.

The team announced today that they have placed first round pick Peria Jerry on injured reserve, ending his season. Jerry was carried off the field on Sunday after injuring his left knee. The team signed seventh round pick Vance Walker off the practice squad to help fill depth at defensive tackle.

Jerry had started the first two games of the season and recorded one tackle in his debut against the Dolphins. Injuries aren’t new with Jerry, who was plagued with injuries during his time at Ole Miss. He also suffered a knee injury during minicamp this summer and was limited at times leading up to the season.

The Falcons will likely also call upon Trey Lewis to help fill the void, who was inactive for the first two games of the season. Thomas Johnson, who has been working in rotation with both Jerry and fellow starter Jonathan Babineaux, likely could fill in as the starter.

The National Football Post’s Mike Lombardi has a nice article about what goes into constructing a 53-man roster, with emphasis on the last dozen or so players. With that as my inspiration, I’ve broken down the 78 players on the Falcons roster into five distinct groups, based on their chances of making the opening day roster.

Definitely Making It
These 36 players should be sleeping easy this weekend since they are in no danger of losing their roster spot. If any one of these players will be cut, it’ll be a complete shock. Almost all of these players can be assured that only an injury will keep them off the team’s active roster each Sunday this season.

QB Matt Ryan
RB Michael Turner
RB Jerious Norwood
FB Ovie Mughelli
WR Roddy White
WR Michael Jenkins
WR Brian Finneran
TE Tony Gonzalez
TE Justin Peelle
OT Sam Baker
OT Tyson Clabo
OT Garrett Reynolds
OG Justin Blalock
OG Harvey Dahl
OC Todd McClure
OC Brett Romberg
DE Chauncey Davis
DE John Abraham
DE Lawrence Sidbury
DE Kroy Biermann
DT Peria jerry
DT Jonathan Babineaux
DT Trey Lewis
LB Curtis Lofton
LB Stephen Nicholas
LB Coy Wire
LB Mike Peterson
CB Brent Grimes
CB Chris Houston
CB Chevis Jackson
CB Chris Owens
S Erik Coleman
S Thomas DeCoud
S William Moore
K Jason Elam
P Michael Koenen

Almost There
These nine players are probably going to make the final roster, and more than likely complete the 45-man active roster.  But there is a chance, however small, that one or two of these guys won’t make the cut. More than likely their release will have to do with the team looking to pinch some pennies. But considering the Falcons are well under this year’s cap, their need to do so is lessened. If one of these guys is actually released, it’ll be an upset, but not a major surprise.

QB Chris Redman
WR Eric Weems
TE Ben Hartsock
OT Will Svitek
DE Jamaal Anderson
LB Tony Gilbert
LB Jamie Winborn
CB Von Hutchins
LS Mike Schneck

Still Fighting
These guys are still fighting for their spots on the roster, and their performance on Saturday night will certainly matter in the eyes of the coaches. I’ve put asterisks (*) beside those that are practice squad eligible, so even if they don’t make the cut, they could land on the practice squad. More than likely, several of these guys will fill the final 8 spots on the roster.

QB D.J. Shockley*
QB John Parker Wilson*
RB Thomas Brown*
RB Jason Snelling
WR Marty Booker
WR Robert Ferguson
OG Quinn Ojinnaka
OC Ben Wilkerson
DT Thomas Johnson
DT Vance Walker*
LB Robert James*
LB Spencer Adkins*
CB William Middleton*
S Jamaal Fudge

Barely Hanging On
At this point, it’ll be a real surprise if any of these players make the final roster. And what they really need is a strong performance on Saturday night in order to make the cut.

RB Verron Haynes
WR Chandler Williams
TE Jason Rader
TE Keith Zinger*
DE Willie Evans*
DT Jason Jefferson
S Antoine Harris
S Eric Brock*

Aiming for the Squad
These eleven guys are what are often called “camp bodies” in that they fill out the 80-man roster. However, all of them are practice squad eligible, so they can still make an impression this weekend. But the odds of any of them ending up on the final 53-man roster are very, very low.

WR Troy Bergeron
WR Aaron Kelly
OT Michael Butterworth
OG Ryan Stanchek
OG Adam Speer
OG Jose Valdez
DE Maurice Lucas
DT Tywain Myles
CB Tony Tiller
CB Glenn Sharpe
LS Robert Shiver

After Saturday night’s game, if any players perform well enough (or poorly enough) to move to a different list, I’ll make changes prior to next weekend’s preseason finale.