D. Orlando Ledbetter of the AJC reports that the Falcons expect several players to return to action in next week’s preseason game against the Miami Dolphins after missing some time. Among them are safety William Moore, cornerback Dunta Robinson, defensive tackle Peria Jerry, cornerback Brian Williams, and running back Jerious Norwood.

All five players have yet to suit up for a game this preseason. Typically, the third preseason game is the one in which the team’s starters get the majority of their playing time. And Robinson and Jerry are expected to hold down starting positions this season. Head coach Mike Smith indicated in his post-game press conference that the team had been targeting most of the injured players to return for this third preseason game from the start.

Moore has missed time by re-aggravating a groin injury he suffered in the spring. The former second round pick has seen very little action to date for the team in the past two seasons.

Robinson was held out last week with a hamstring injury, although he indicated in a television interview that he could have played had it been a regular season game. The team erred on the side of caution to allow the injury to heal.

Jerry still has lingering issues from the knee injury he suffered in September of last season and has been limited in practice since training camp began at the end of July. Williams is in the same boat.

Norwood too has been limited for most of camp with a hip flexor.

The Falcons were able to get wide receiver Harry Douglas and safety Matt Giordano back from injury for last night’s preseason game. Douglas (knee) and Giordano (groin) were held out of the Chiefs games. Douglas responded with a pair of receptions for 13 yards. It was his first action since 2008, after missing all of the 2009 season with a knee injury. Giordano had two tackles in his first action in a Falcon uniform.

Jonathan Babineaux

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.

Read more…

Jamaal Anderson

Jamaal Anderson is the one Falcon player that fans love to hate. But Anderson does have value, and Mike Smith isn’t crazy for saying so.

It’s easy to understand why Falcon fans are disappointed with Anderson. He has recorded 2.5 sacks in 3 seasons as a starter, major underachievement for a player that was drafted in 2007 with the expectation that he would replace Patrick Kerney, one of the top pass rushers in Falcons history.

People tend to forget that 45% of the plays called in the NFL are running plays, so the fact that Anderson is lacking as a pass rusher doesn’t equate his value to zilch. Anderson is arguably the best run defender on the team at defensive end.

And the team’s two most proven pass rushers: John Abraham and Kroy Biermann aren’t exactly known for the ability to hold up against the run. So the Falcons only benefit from having Anderson as well as Chauncey Davis manning most of the snaps on run downs. That way, Abraham and Biermann can focus on what they do best: rush the passer. Both players have a tendency to wear down as the season goes on. Abraham is no stranger to injuries, and Biermann’s production declined sharply as the season wore on. If the Falcons are hoping to make a deep playoff run, they are going to need their best pass rushers playing well and a lot down the stretch. So the more reps that can be saved for them in September and October should pay off in December and hopefully January.

Anderson also adds value because of his ability to play inside. And with Peria Jerry coming back from injury, the Falcons could use that insurance early in the season. The Falcons are also bringing along Corey Peters. And while Peters can contribute this season as a rookie, it doesn’t seem likely that he’ll hit the ground running when the regular season begins. Folks should recall that Vance Walker who played as a rookie didn’t make many contributions until the middle of the season. One probably shouldn’t expect a whole lot more from Peters. Coupled with the possibility that Jerry may not be 100% by September, the Falcons mayneed that extra depth that Anderson provides early in the season.

D. Orlando Ledbetter of the AJC reports that Falcons head coach Mike Smith indicated that three players returning from season-ending knee injuries in 2009, are all medically cleared to practice once the Falcons begin training camp practices on Friday, July 30. Those three players are Harry Douglas, Peria Jerry, and Brian Williams.

According to Smith, all three will be brought along slowly and be limited to one practice a day. The Falcons will open camp with five days of a two-a-day practices. Ledbetter writes that there were notions that all three players could begin camp on the Physically-Unable-to-Perform (PUP) list, indicating their inability to practice.

Douglas suffered a torn ACL during the first week of training camp last summer. Jerry went down with his injury in the second game of the regular season, and Williams in the fifth. Williams also tore his ACL, but the specific details Jerry’s injury has never been disclosed by team officials. According to some sources, it may have been bone related.

The defensive line is arguably one of the deepest positions on the team’s roster in terms of experience. Largely due to the fact that the team employs a heavy rotation on most Sundays last season.

The return of Peria Jerry could cause a minor shakeup here. His injury last season caused the team to start using Jamaal Anderson more as an interior player. But if he has a healthy return, then Anderson’s versatility is less valued. Couple that with the possibility that Anderson could lose his starting left end spot to Kroy Biermann this summer via competition, and his hold on a roster spot is tenuous.

We do know that John Abraham, Jonathan Babineaux, Kroy Biermann, and Peria Jerry seem to be locks to make the roster. But the guys that fill the remaining four or five slots remains to be seen. Lawrence Sidbury and Corey Peters are likely to be two of those players. How strong a summer Sidbury has could go a long way to how much success the team’s pass rush has in 2010. Peters’ status as a draft pick gives him good odds to making the final roster. But he’s not a lock since Thomas Johnson, Vance Walker, and Dan Klecko may also be breathing down his neck. Of that group, Walker probably stands the best chance to earn the top reserve defensive tackle spot. His play improved as last season wore on coupled with his youth gives him the best long-term potential of any backup tackle besides Peters.

Chauncey Davis is a steady performer on running downs, but the team may find it hard to justify keeping him around if Anderson is kept, and Sidbury improves. But his value as a run defender could become more pronounced if Biermann and Sidbury don’t show enough improvement in that area to be every down players.

Trey Lewis will also be in the mix inside. But he struggled throughout the 2009 season, and unless he has a major resurgence and shows the skill and potential he flashed in 2007, he seems like a roster long shot. Rajon Henley and Emmanuel Stephens are undrafted ends who can earn a practice squad position if they can show some burst and speed off the edge as pass rushers.

D. Orlando Ledbetter of the AJC reports that 2009 second round pick William Moore has been cleared to participate in the Falcons upcoming minicamp this weekend. Moore was limited to only two appearances last season after undergoing knee surgery in August, and then suffering a hamstring injury during the season which forced him onto injured reserve.

Per the report, fellow 2009 rookie Peria Jerry will not participate in the minicamp due lingering issues from a knee injury he suffered in Week 2 of last year. Cornerback Brian Williams and wide receiver Harry Douglas also will be held out as they recover from torn ACLs. Per Falcons head coach Mike Smith, all three of those players are not expected to participate in organized team activities later in the month and should return in time for training camp later this summer.

Looking back over the Falcons-related news from the past week…

Owner’s Meetings

The media got a chance to hear from the Falcons top brass during this week’s owners meetings. D-Led has a nice write-up on a Q&A session that occurred there with head coach Mike Smith. We learned that Smitty supports the changes to overtime, although that’s not too surprising since Rich McKay is co-chair of the competition committee, and the Falcons should be on board with all the proposals.

We also learned from Smith during the week that defensive tackle Peria Jerry and wide receiver Harry Douglas, both recovering from season-ending knee injuries last year won’t be participating in spring mini-camps and OTAs, but will be shooting to return at the end of July for training camp. Matt Ryan and Michael Turner are back and ready to go now. And safety William Moore is simply “progressing” with no known timetable on when he will be completely recovered from his injury a year ago. (Source: Pat Yasinskas, ESPN)

Extra Paycheck

Brent Grimes and Thomas DeCoud were the biggest earners this year for the Falcons in the performance-based pay system. (Source: D-Led, AJC)

Also interesting to note that Falcons safety Erik Coleman has been the biggest earner overall since the league instituted the system in 2002. (Source: Tim Yotter, Scout.com)

Beefing Up the Middle

The Falcons appear to be very interested in getting stronger up the middle along their offensive line, having scheduled several workouts this week with draft prospects. They are working out three center prospects this weekend: Matt Tennant (Boston College), J.D. Walton (Baylor), and Ted Larsen (N.C. State). The team also has unspecified upcoming workouts with Maurice Pouncey (Florida) and Mike Iupati (Idaho) who are often predicted to be first round picks. Indiana offensive tackle Rodger Saffold also will work out with the Falcons this past week, who many project as a possible guard. (Sources: FalcFans Draft Central)

They are being speculated as a potential destination for Miami Dolphins guard Justin Smiley. (Source: Armando Salguero, Miami Herald)

Draft Notes

The Falcons had a busy week of visiting pro days, attending those of N.C. State, Connecticut, and Central Michigan this past Wednesday. They checked out UNLV’s on Thursday. You can find out more information on which prospects the Falcons are targetting at FalcFans Draft Central.

Peria Jerry injured

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.

Re-assessing which players have raised and lowered their stock after two preseason games.

STOCK UP

Thomas Johnson – He started the first preseason game and has added some size. It remains to be seen if Johnson will be the opening day starter, but he’s made an impression that he should at least land a reserve spot in the rotation.

Chris Owens – He’s given up two touchdown passes in the preseason, but Owens has impressed the coaches throughout the summer with his speed and instincts. While he’s probably not in the hunt for a starting position with Brent Grimes taking the lead there, he still stands a good shot of landing the nickel back spot by opening day.

Michael Turner – There was no doubt that Turner is the man. But he’s looked very strong in his two preseason performances so far.  Questions still remain whether Turner’s workload last year will have a detriment later in the season, but just like in 2008, Turner seems poised for a strong start in 2009.

Eric Weems – He seems almost a lock to make the final roster because he’s been the most consistent return threat, and has shown an ability to contribute somewhat on offense as a potential slot receiver. Weems isn’t the player that Harry Douglas is, but if he continues to play like he’s done, the team’s need to find that player elsewhere will be less by the end of the preseason.

STOCK DOWN

Peria Jerry – He is still in the hunt for the starting position, and the coaches will give him plenty of chances to win it. But Jerry hasn’t done much in the first two preseason games, suggesting that he may be better off working off the bench as the season starts.

Mike Peterson – Peterson hasn’t had great days in the first two preseason games. While he’s no threat to lose his starting job, don’t be surprised if he loses a lot of reps to Coy Wire or Jamie Winborn once the regular season starts.

D.J. Shockley – Shockley hasn’t been overly impressive in his two preseason performances, and may need a strong finish to salvage his roster spot. He just hasn’t shown the mastery of running an NFL offense that one should seem coming from a fourth-year veteran and a guy with a year’s experience in this offense. Comparing him to John Parker Wilson right now, it’s hard telling who’s the rookie and who’s the fourth-year veteran.

Peria Jerry

The Falcons announced the signing of first round pick Peria Jerry today. Jerry was the team’s top draft pick and last one to sign.

Terms of the deal are unknown, but it is a five-year deal. The Falcons begin training camp practices on Saturday. Jerry is expected to compete for the starting defensive tackle position opposite Jonathan Babineaux.

The Falcons become the sixth team to sign all of their draft picks.