Frey takes one to the house in the 2011 Fiesta Bowl

A lot of talk has been made about the Falcons many undrafted additions at the wide receiver position that could be making the roster, including burner Cody Pearcy. But a player that might be going under the radar and has just as strong a chance to make the team’s final roster is former UConn Huskie and Kutztown Golden Bear Robbie Frey. Frey won’t have an easy road trying to make the Falcons roster, but his potential as a kickoff returner could give him a significant leg up.

With the loss of Eric Weems as the team’s primary return specialist, a big part of this summer’s training camp competitions will be to find a player or two that can replace him. The Falcons will likely rest on either Harry Douglas or Dominique Franks to return punts, both having done so before. But it leaves the competition for who will take over on kickoffs wide open.

That likely will mean that any one of the Falcons undrafted receivers and Frey will have an opportunity to shine and make the roster. Unlike the receivers, while Frey isn’t blessed with dynamic speed, he is unique in the sense that he was consistently productive and the most experience kickoff returner among the undrafted crop. The only other player with his level of experience is James Rodgers, and he’s been slowed by an ACL injury that he suffered in 2010, and is now still continuing to fight back from.

The departure of Ovie Mughelli does increase the odds that Frey coudl make the roster. The Falcons aren’t guaranteed to carry more than one fullback on the roster, something they did last season. The team carried Ovie Mughelli in that role until his injury, and then Mike Cox afterwards. They could do the same with fifth round pick Bradie Ewing being the run-away favorite to be the starter this season. Last year, they opted to keep four tailbacks in Michael Turner, Jacquizz Rodgers, Jason Snelling, and Antone Smith. Snelling’s ability to double as a lead blocker means that the team isn’t forced to carry more than one fullback at a time. Smith predominantly played on special teams, a role he shined in late in the year. But his roster status is far from a lock. And he’ll be pushed by Dimitri Nance and Frey for a potential fourth tailback spot. If Frey can prove himself as a return man, and also a capable gunner on special teams like Smith then he has as good a chance as anyone to make the roster. Another key part to the equation will be how well he can pick up the passing game. When Nance and Smith competed directly for the reserve role back in 2010, a big part of the reason why Smith made it and Nance did not was because Smith was the more polished player in pass protection. Frey did not have a ton of experience working in the passing game at either UConn or Kutztown, but if he can show he’s a quick study the team could give him the opportunity.

But the primary value Frey can bring to the table is kickoff return specialist. And while the rule changes to kickoffs have limited the ability of kickoff returners, it is not a throwaway position. The majority of kicks go into the endzone forcing teams to settle for touchbacks. But a good returner can add value if he can take kicks that would normally be called for touchbacks and get them beyond the 20-yard line to set up his team for success. If a team can trust it’s returner to be able to take kicks five or six yards deep and then turn that into a twenty-five or thirty yard gain, it is immensely valuable to an offense to give it the best possible field position. If Frey can showcase this kind of ability, and his extensive experience should help him, then he has as good if not a better shot than anyone of landing the role and finding a place on the roster.

Duration: 55 minutes

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Meisner (5-11/241) hails from Colorado State-Pueblo where he served as a four-year starter at inside linebacker. He also served part-time as the team’s punter his freshman and sophomore year, combining for 36.0-yard average on 53 punts. He led the team three consecutive years in tackling, having a career high of 124 tackles and 9.5 for loss as a junior. He had 98 tackles, 8 for loss, and a career-high 4 interceptions as a senior. For his career, Meisner finished with 349 tackles, 30.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, 8 interceptions, 12 pass breakups, 4 forced fumbles, and 1 recovery. The Falcons intend on converting him to offense in order to compete for a reserve spot at fullback.

Stafford (6-1/198) started 9 of 13 games this past year for Toledo, catching 21 passes for 272 yards (13.0 avg) and 1 touchdown. For his career, he caught 59 passes for 906 yards (15.4 avg) and 8 scores during his career, predominantly as a reserve. At Toledo’s pro day in March he clocked a 4.37 40 time with a 35-inch vertical jump. He is also the nephew of former Minnesota Vikings All-Pro wideout Cris Carter.

White (6-4/239) was the backup to Orson Charles at Georgia working most of his career as the No. 2 guy. But he did start as a sophomore, where he had career bests of 13 catches for 198 yards (15.2 avg) and 4 touchdowns, while starting 12 of 13 games. The past two seasons, he has caught a combined 18 passes for 226 yards (12.6 avg) and 4 scores.

Carthon is the son of NFL assistant coach and former player Maurice Carthon, who is currently on the Kansas City Chiefs coaching staff. Ran played briefly in the NFL having played 9 games with the Indianapolis Colts between 2005-06 after entering the league as an undrafted running back in 2004, following a career at the University of Florida. After his playing career was over, Carthon joined the Falcons scouting department in 2008 as a pro scout, where he has served since.

Mughelli was signed by the Falcons in 2007 to what was at the time the most lucrative deal ever given to a fullback. Although, Bobby Petrino’s offense made minimal use of that position, and thus Mughelli languished on that team during the Falcons poor season. With the introduction of Mike Smith, Mike Mularkey, and Michael Turner to the offense, Mughelli’s value increased a hundredfold. Over the course of the next three seasons, Mughelli staked out a reputation as one of the league’s top fullbacks and lead blockers in the league, culminating in him being voted to the Pro Bowl in 2010. In 2011, Mughelli suffered a knee injury in the season opener against the Chicago Bears. The injury limited him in subsequent games before he was forced to be shut down for the season at the end of October.

First let’s go through the players that are locked in, meaning they are near certainties to make the roster unless injuries occur:

Quarterback (2): Matt Ryan, Chris Redman
Running Back (4): Michael Turner, Jacquizz Rodgers, Jason Snelling, Bradie Ewing
Wide Receiver (3): Julio Jones, Roddy White, Harry Douglas
Tight End (2): Tony Gonzalez, Michael Palmer
Offensive Line (5): Justin Blalock, Tyson Clabo, Todd McClure, Peter Konz, Lamar Holmes
Defensive End (3): Ray Edwards, John Abraham, Kroy Biermann
Defensive Tackle (2): Jonathan Babineaux, Corey Peters
Linebacker (4): Stephen Nicholas, Lofa Tatupu, Sean Weatherspoon, Akeem Dent
Cornerback (4): Brent Grimes, Dunta Robinson, Asante Samuel, Dominique Franks
Safety (2): William Moore, Thomas DeCoud
Specialist (2): Matt Bryant, Matt Bosher

That’s a grand total of 33 players that are locks to make the roster. That leaves 20 roster spots open. It’s likely that the following players will have the best chances to fill those:

Running Back (1): Ovie Mughelli
Wide Receiver (1): Kerry Meier
Offensive Line (2): Joe Hawley, Andrew Jackson
Defensive End (2): Lawrence Sidbury, Jonathan Massaquoi
Defensive Tackle (1): Vance Walker
Linebacker (1): Spencer Adkins
Cornerback (1): Darrin Walls
Safety (2): Shann Schillinger, Charles Mitchell

That’s 11 players that are strong probabilities that they will find their way on the final roster, leaving a total of 9 spots remaining.

These are the positions that will almost certainly be included in the final 53 players, but which player will fill them remains to be seen:

#5 WR, #3 TE, #8 & #9 OL, #4 DT, #6 LB, #1 LS

Subtract those 7 niches from the final 9, and you basically are left with only 2 spots on the roster that could be considered “extra” meaning that a player could have a strong enough summer that he merits being kept on the roster despite not really having a role for him. And more than likely, they will be spots reserved for players that can contribute on special teams as well as their potential to contribute on offense or defense.

Those 7 position battles mentioned above will be the most contentious this summer.

Fifth Wide Receiver: This was a role vacated by Eric Weems, and as was the case with Weems, it will be strongly impacted by a guy’s ability to impact in the return game. This is also the position most likely where one of the Falcons undrafted free agents can rise to the top and stake out a spot on the final roster.

Third Tight End: This likely will be a position where blocking is the premium since if/when this player gets playing time it will come in situations where the team employs 3-TEs on the field, typically running scenarios. It’s certainly possible that the Falcons use a third tackle for that role (Lamar Holmes?), but just for the sake of depth the Falcons will likely carry a third tight end just so they don’t have to abandon 2-TE sets in the event of an injury to Gonzalez or Palmer.

Eighth/Ninth Offensive Lineman: It’s possible the team could carry ten guys here (thus filling the “extra” spot) just due to the sheer amount of young depth the team is trying to develop. Both of these spots could very well be filled by starters at left tackle (Sam Baker vs. Will Svitek) or right guard (Vince Manuwai).

Fourth Defensive Tackle: Peria Jerry and Travian Robertson are the front runners here, and certainly at least one of them will make it. Jerry is the likelier of the two, with Robertson more likely going to the practice squad. But the Falcons could opt to keep five here, thus filling another one of the “extra” spots.

Sixth Linebacker: The Falcons will likely carry a sixth linebacker for special teams and depth purposes. Robert James would be the front runner, but he’ll be pushed by the undrafted guys. Any of them could unseat him with a strong summer.

Long Snapper: Joe Zelenka would be a hard man to beat out under normal circumstances, but the fact that the Falcons are carrying three snappers into camp would indicate that they are looking for a spirited competition and one of the young guys to push Zelenka away.

If you want a much too early May prediction on who the final 53 will be, here goes:

Quarterbacks (2): Matt Ryan, Chris Redman
Running Backs (5): Michael Turner, Ovie Mughelli, Jacquizz Rodgers, Jason Snelling, Bradie Ewing
Wide Receivers (5): Julio Jones, Roddy White, Harry Douglas, Kerry Meier, Cody Pearcy
Tight Ends (3): Tony Gonzalez, Michael Palmer, Adam Nissley
Offensive Linemen (10): Will Svitek, Justin Blalock, Todd McClure, Vince Manuwai, Tyson Clabo, Andrew Jackson, Joe Hawley, Peter Konz, Lamar Holmes, Mike Johnson
Defensive Ends (5): Ray Edwards, John Abraham, Kroy Biermann, Lawrence Sidbury, Jonathan Massaquoi
Defensive Tackles (5): Jonathan Babineaux, Corey Peters, Vance Walker, Peria Jerry, Travian Robertson
Linebackers (6): Stephen Nicholas, Lofa Tatupu, Sean Weatherspoon, Akeem Dent, Spencer Adkins, Robert James
Cornerbacks (5): Asante Samuel, Brent Grimes, Dunta Robinson, Dominique Franks, Darrin Walls
Safeties (4): William Moore, Thomas DeCoud, Charles Mitchell, Shann Schillinger
Specialists (3): Matt Bryant, Matt Bosher, Joe Zelenka

Jonathan Massaquoi

I wanted to get this up sooner, but I finally gone back and looked at tape of the Falcons newest fifth round pick on the defensive side of the ball. Massaquoi was a player that first came to my attention in the 2010 New Orleans Bowl, where he utterly dominated Ohio’s offensive line to have 8 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks in that game. From that game he looked like he had the potential to be a stud pass rusher at the next level.

But after watching four games of his from this past year, I’m not nearly as impressed with him. Here are some of the things I saw on tape:

Pros: Has nice straight-line burst off the edge. He plays with a high motor and continues until the whistle. Does a good job timing snaps and getting a good jump to get the offensive tackle off-balanced. Will use his hands at times to keep blockers off him and get extension. Flashes ability as a bull rusher, able to get his hands inside and jolt the tackle off the snap. Can make the quick inside counter move to collapse the pocket from the edge. Has experience dropping into coverage on zone blitzes, and does a nice job with his backpedal and footwork.

Cons: Doesn’t have the first step or burst off the edge to really wow you. His first step is really only effective against the lesser tackles he faces. If he cannot win with his first step, he struggles to disengage and win battles. Gets pushed around too easily and knocked off his rush when tackles get their hands on him. Struggles to get leverage at the point of attack and tends to get swarmed under when you run directly at him. He doesn’t show great recognition to maintain the edge. Not a very good open field tackler because he doesn’t do a great job breaking down and ducks his head. Doesn’t change direction well when you get him in space, and can get caught out of position against the run there. Doesn’t show great hips when he drops in coverage, and is very straight-line.

I think part of hte reason why Massaquoi shined in 2010 vs. Ohio was because he was much lighter than he was in 2011. He was listed at 252 back in 2010, but appeared to play much closer to 260-265 range as a junior in 2011. That additional weight seemed to make him lose a step. While he does have decent burst, it didn’t look good enough where he was going to really beat starting-calber NFL tackles with it. The hope for the Falcons is that the burst can return once he gets a bit more used to playing at the additional weight.

Another reason is that Troy’s defense doesn’t really take full advantage of Massaquoi’s skillset. He plays left defensive end in their defense, and too often I saw him lined up in a 5-technique or over the tackle. Forcing him to use his hands rather than his speed. His hands are by far his weakest aspect. But he still managed to be productive in the four games I saw when he was able to pin his ears back and get after the quarterback. But a lot of his pressures came from him being able to time snaps very well rather than him being able to simply win with his burst alone.

Overall, Massaquoi reminds me a lot of Lawrence Sidbury. Sidbury playing at Richmond also didn’t have a high degree of competition on a weekly basis. Sidbury too could prey on the weakest offensive tackles he faced. Massaquoi and Sidbury’s burst are similar, and like Sidbury I think Massaquoi can be a very good situational/rotational player. But he’ll likley be very limited in a starter’s role because of his lack of size and the fact that he doesn’t have the burst to really be a force off the edge.

And thusly, like Sidbury, I don’t see Massaquoi doing a whole lot his rookie season. And may not be a guy that will contribute until his third year. Unless he can add strength and learn how to use his hands better, it’s hard to see Massaquoi doing much more. One thing I did like about him that could be developed is his bull rush. He could at times get his hands inside and jolt tackles off the ball. He still hasn’t quite mastered the ability to lock on and drive the blocker into the backfield, but that can come in time.

Overall, I believe Massaquoi is a nice depth option for the Falcons that can be developed to help out the rotation in time. His potential to play in coverage might be a little better than the Falcons current group of edge rushers, but it’s probably not a skillset that will be developed to any high degree.

Calvin impressed with his size (6-3/210) and speed (4.34) at Cal’s pro day this past spring, although he had very limited production in college. His best season came as a senior, where he caught 20 passes for 269 yards (13.5 avg), and 1 touchdown.

Jolly spent 2010 on the Pittsburgh Steelers practice squad, but then joined the Falcons practice squad this past November. He was re-signed to a future contract after the season. Albritton was an undrafted free agent with the Houston Texans this past summer, and then was cut prior to the season. He spent a brief time on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers active roster in September, but did not play in a game. He was signed by the Falcons this past January. Winterswyk was an undrafted free agent signed by the team last summer that was cut before the season began with an injury settlement. He was re-signed by the Falcons to their practice squad late in the season before being re-signed to a future contract after the season.

Council, 6-1, 255 pounds, was tabbed Ohio Valley Conference Preseason Co-Defensive Player of the Year as a senior at Tennessee State. In 2011, he posted a team-high 87 tackles (49 solo) with 8.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, one interception, 11 passes defensed, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. The Chattanooga, TN native was named to the All-OVC second team as a junior, received TSU Heart of a Tiger Courage Award and earned first team All-HBCU honors as a sophomore.

Jackson, 6-1, 195 pounds, finished with 65 catches for 1,159 yards during his two seasons at Lamar. He posted 24 receptions for 432 yards and six touchdowns while leading the team with 18.0 yards per catch as a senior. Jackson’s eight touchdown catches in 2010 were the second most in a single season in school history. He also hauled in 17 passes for 278 yards and four touchdowns at Navarro College, helping the Bulldogs to an 11-1 record and a No. 3 ranking in the 2009 National Junior College Athletic Association.

Kibble, 6-4, 305 pounds, notched 38 tackles (14 solo) with 5.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and one forced fumble during his senior season at Kansas State. In 2010, he appeared in all 13 games with nine starts and made 30 tackles (11 solo) with one half sack. He earned second team All-Southwest Junior College Football Conference honors as a defensive lineman in 2009 at Navarro College.

Thompson, 5-11, 180 pounds, logged 186 tackles (125 solo), 10.5 tackles for loss, seven interceptions, one sack, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and 22 passes defensed in four seasons at San Jose State. He played in 47 games, including 33 starts, seeing time at cornerback and on special teams. Thompson was credited with downing four punts inside opponent’s five-yard line during his final three seasons.