Jeff Schultz of the AJC reports that linebacker Lofa Tatupu has suffered a pectoral injury while lifting weights on Thursday. The extent of the injury is not known, but it is expected that he’ll at least miss the opening of training camp next week per D. Orlando Ledbetter of the AJC. Ledbetter terms the injury “serious.” Per Ledbetter, a grade one strain requires a few days of recovery. A grade two strain could put a player out for up to six weeks. And a fully torn pectoral muscle requires surgery and presumably would cost Tatupu the entire 2012 season. The severity of the injury will not be known until next week. In the mean time, Tatupu is expected to see noted orthopedic surgeon James Andrews.

Tatupu tore his pectoral in 2009 while with the Seahawks and missed all but five games that season. The Falcons report to camp this upcoming Wednesday and practices begin on Thursday. Tatupu was expected to compete with Akeem Dent for the starting middle linebacker position, as a replacement for Curtis Lofton. With the move to sideline Matt Hansen, the Falcons have an available roster spot for a veteran linebacker if need be.

Sean Weatherspoon

The Falcons linebacker position should see some solid competition this summer during training camp. One of the starting positions will be determined this summer, as well as the team could be looking at infusing their depth with a lot of youth.

One player that does not have to worry about his job is Sean Weatherspoon. Weatherspoon will be counted on becoming the anchor for the Falcons unit. Weatherspoon emerged as one of the league’s top 4-3 outside linebackers last year and had a Pro Bowl caliber season. He hopes to continue that this year with another strong season where he’ll actually get a chance to play in Hawaii. He’ll be a core piece of the Falcons defense under new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan. With the additions the team has made at cornerback, it is expected that the Falcons will operate a lot out of the nickel as their base defensive package. It will mean that Weatherspoon’s ability in coverage will be a key asset to have in such situations. He’ll be counted on largely to cover the many solid tight ends that now dot the league.

Who will line up beside him in those nickel situations will need to be determined via competition this summer. The Falcons have three candidates that will be fighting to be in the nickel package. Strongside starter Stephen Nicholas and whoever wins the middle linebacker spot: Lofa Tatupu or Akeem Dent, will be in the mix for the role. Nicholas’ job on the strong side is safe, but he was marginalized for much of last year in part because of injuries. Also his snap count was reduced by about a third last year because he was taken off the field in nickel situations. If he wants to return to becoming a regular contributor, he’ll have to show Nolan that he can be more than just functional on passing downs, he’ll need to be good.

The competition for the starting spot at middle linebacker however will get the bulk of the attention this summer. Lofa Tatupu is coming off a year where he sat out the season and will compete with second year player Akeem Dent. Tatupu is the savvy veteran while Dent is the fresh, young upstart. This should be a fairly even and fair competition as the team is simply looking for the best player. More than likely, as the season goes on, both players will get playing time. But this summer, one player is expected to emerge as the guy that should get the brunt of the work. Before injuries sapped his ability, Tatupu was one of the league’s better middle linebackers. He’ll hope to show that those injury concerns are behind him, and answer the questions about whether he still has the speed and range to be an effective starter.

Dent should fare a little better in that arena, as he’s the more athletic of the two. But the key for Dent is that he’s going to have to show a certain awareness that is necessary to be able to play in the middle at the NFL level. It remains to be seen if he has developed that after one year of minimal work on defense. Dent was never lacking in the instinctual aspects of the game during his days at Georgia, but it’s a fairly big leap to the NFL level. His predecessor Curtis Lofton took nearly half of his rookie season before he really started to get comfortable in that area.

As with Nicholas, one way that either player can distinguish themselves from the other is by performing well in coverage. That could be the tie-breaker. Dent has the athletic ability to better match up in coverage, but Tatupu’s experience gives him the edge on awareness in knowing where he should be and where his assignments should take him. It is going to be an interesting competition.

What also needs to be determined, is which player if any of the linebackers will dawn the green dot on their helmet in order to receive information from the coaches and make the defensive calls on the field. That role was previously held by Lofton, and among the current players, only Tatupu has experience doing that. It remains to be seen if that will be a factor in camp competition. But it is also not unheard of for teams to give that role to safeties if need be. Weatherspoon would make a strong candidate since he’s a sure bet to be an everydown player at linebacker.

Regardless, those four players are virtual locks to make the final roster. Because of their need to provide depth elsewhere on the roster, the Falcons have been known to only carry six linebackers on their 53-man roster during the regular season. That policy is likely to continue this year. The two veteran incumbents for those spots include Spencer Adkins and Robert James. Adkins got reps late last year as an injury replacement for Nicholas and had his moments. Adkins has good speed and can be an effective attacking linebacker, but his hips and flexibility are less than desired, which can get him in trouble in coverage. He is the safer of the two. James has only garnered marginal playing time in four years on and off the practice squad. In fact, in four summers with the team James has been on the team’s opening day 53-man roster only once. It makes his foothold on a final roster spot tenuous at best.

Because of that, it gives the team’s group of undrafted free agents a better than average chance to make an impression and win a roster spot. Outside linebackers like Jerrell Harris and Max Gruder probably have the slightly better odds since they will be filling a reserve spot on the outside, but inside guys like Rico Council and Pat Schiller also will be in the mix. Likely their chances will come down to  who showcases the best on special teams because if any of them make the team, their role will be entirely in that arena. All four have similar athleticism, although both Harris and Council tested slightly better at their respective pro days this past spring. Harris and Gruder have the added benefit of playing in some 3-4 schemes while in college, which could help them grasp schematically some of the things that Nolan will try to do in camp.

With the departure of Eric Weems, Dent becomes the team’s top special teams player. And if he wins the starting job, then it’s likely that he’ll get a lot less reps on special teams. It will be important that one of these young guys can step up and fill the void left by him if that situation arises. Otherwise the team could be scouring the waiver wire come the end of August, looking for someone that can.

Sean Weatherspoon

As mentioned in the discussion about the future of the Falcons defensive line, the team now employs a hybrid defense, being able to shift from 3-4 to 4-3 at a moment’s notice.

That bears out in how the Falcons linebacker corps looks come the year 2015. Leading the unit is Sean Weatherspoon who has become the leader and anchor of the Falcons defense. Much of their defensive success over the past few seasons has been due to the strong play of Spoon, who has earned two Pro Bowl bids in the past three seasons. Weatherspoon plays on the weakside of the defense, lining up on the outside when the team utilizes the 4-3, but plays inside when they switch to the 3-4.

Beside Weatherspoon at the middle linebacker spot is Akeem Dent. Over the past three seasons, Dent has never truly been a full-time starter but is counted among their key role players. But 2015 is the first time that Dent is expected to be a true starter. Part of the reason why the Falcons have never handed the keys fully to Dent over the years is the presence of veteran Daryl Smith, whom the team signed in 2014. Smith a savvy and underrated veteran from Jacksonville first joined the team as an upgrade on the strongside. But his versatility to play all three linebacker positions made him a valuable piece in the team’s nickel defense as well as in their switch to a 3-4 defense. Smith now 33 going into the 2015 is near the end, the team is expecting Dent to take over full-time at the middle linebacker position.

Keeping in with their 3-4 looks, the team used top pick in 2015 on Georgia pass rusher Ray Drew, who they intend to see become one of the league’s more feared edge rushers. Drew will also play on the strongside in their 4-3 looks, but the plan at least as a rookie is for him to split reps with Smith there. Even though Drew won’t be an everydown player right away, the team is confident that he can have an Aldon Smith-like impact even as a situational rusher coming off the edge as a rookie.

Stephen Nicholas is still around because of his ability to provide depth and also give the team a competent pass rusher on the outside, making him able to work in both 4-3 and 3-4 looks. He’ll also be in the mix on the strongside in certain situations.

In this week’s episode, Ryan and I get back to the grind of talking about the Falcons. Taking segments of recent live shows where we talk about different position groups on the offense, this episode is an amalgamation (I know, big word) of those discussions. Also included in this episode is our interview with The Bleacher Report’s Scott Carasik, another knowledgeable Falcon fan. If you want to hear practically every offensive player on the Falcons roster get discussed, then this is the episode for you. Topics range from who will make the roster to what can be expected from different players this year. What if any changes that Dirk Koetter has will affect different players and positions. Ryan and I get into a long debate about what exactly is an elite quarterback. Michael Turner’s future, Chris Redman, Kerry Meier, Julio Jones, and Sam Baker are other Falcon players that get extensive discussions in this episode.

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Duration: 1 hour, 39 minutes

If you have any questions and comments, you can hit us up on Twitter, post in the forums in the podcast thread, or drop Ryan an e-mail at: ryan-valdez@live.com. Don’t forget to drop by every week to hear our live broadcast at: justin.tv/didziojo

You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes. You can also subscribe directly to our feed at the following URL: http://feeds.feedburner.com/falcfans/LXSt

Akeem Dent

A year ago, I questioned whether drafting Dent was a good move by the Falcons. That question could be quickly answered with Dent poised to make significantly more contributions in 2012 due to the void of two departed players.

Those two players include middle linebacker Curtis Lofton and special teams ace Eric Weems. Last year, almost all of Dent’s contributions came on special teams, but this year he’ll be asked to make greater contributions on defense.

I was not surprised to find that Dent excelled on special teams last year. According to Football Outsiders, he tied for the league-lead with return stops last year. Their definition of a stop is similar to what is credited via Moneyball as a tackle on special teams. Dent paced the Falcons last year with 5.5 tackles on kickoff returns of less than 20 yards, and also was also tied for third on the team with 2.5 tackles on punt returns which held opponents to returns of 5 or less yards. And almost all of Dent’s production on special teams came in the second half of the season when the Falcons were able to coax more production out of kickoff specialist and punter Matt Bosher. It also indicates Dent’s improvement over the course of the season.

Where Dent is much more untested is on defense. The team signed veteran Lofa Tatupu at the outset of the off-season to give them veteran insuranc. He and Dent are expected to compete for the starting middle linebacker spot vacated by Lofton. The team will likely choose Tatupu because of his experience, leadership, and also the simple fact that the less work Dent gets on defense means the more work he can get on special teams where he is clearly valuable. But Dent is not going to make it easy for him.

Read more…

We might just as well re-name this to the Julio Jones Trophy. I don’t really have to explain the Jones pick, but I’ll just use this space to recap what the other rookies did this year.

Jacquizz Rodgers managed to make plays whenever he got opportunities as a runner and receiver, but most observers including myself can’t seem to understand why he did not get more opportunities. He runs as hard as any back on the roster, able to get yards after contact, and with his speed and quickness to make guys miss and hit the hole quickly, you just wonder what the coaches were seeing that the rest of us didn’t that merited him only getting limited carries. His primary role was in pass protection, another area where he was solid. I believe Rodgers could have made the race with Jones for this award much more interesting if it did not seem that the coaching staff was conspiring against him.

Akeem Dent played predominantly on special teams, and seemed to start to find his stride in the latter half of the year in coverage units. To the point that he might have been our best cover guy this year, which is saying quite a bit when you consider Weems had earned a Pro Bowl bid due to his abilities there just as much as his return skills.

Bosher has already been discussed. And Andrew Jackson and Cliff Matthews respectively spent the entire season on the practice squad or inactive, so there is really nothing to say about them. The only other rookie to make the squad was Darrin Walls, who played fairly well relative to his youth when pressed into duty late in the season, showing doubters like myself that he legitimately was deserving of a roster spot and not a player that just stood out from a weak group of corners this summer.

And I’ll briefly touch on Jones season. He was a bit inconsistent early in the year, and the injuries that plagued him during the middle of the year weren’t helping. But he really picked things up down the stretch and really was much more consistently able to showcase his game-breaking potential. He’s hoping he becomes even more consistent with showing that skillset in the future for the Falcons.

Joe Hawley

Tonight against the Ravens in the preseason finale, here are five players you should keep your eyes on:

1. OC Joe Hawley

Hawley is set to start the regular season as the team’s starting center. While he may not get a ton of reps tonight as Mike Smith is expected to pull the starters fairly early, whatever reps he does earns will be important. He needs to have a good performance in order to inspire confidence that he can handle the starting position. Fortunately for Hawley, he won’t have to deal with Haloti Ngata tonight, as the Ravens plan to rest many of their key defensive starters.

2. OG Mike Johnson

The battle for the right guard position is not quite over, and Johnson should get ample opportunity to showcase his talents to night. He is in a position that a strong performance against the Ravens beefy 3-4 front could propel him past Reynolds, like a thief in the night.

3. MLB Akeem Dent

Dent has been limited somewhat by injuries this preseason and has yet to earn extensive minutes on regular defense. Tonight should be his opportunity with the Falcons starters only expected to make brief appearances. He should get at least a quarter or two of reps in the middle. With the Falcons strong depth at linebacker, this may be the last time we get an opportunity to see Dent play in 2011.

4. DT Trey Lewis

While the severity of Corey Peters injury has yet to be revealed, if he is set to miss the season opener, the Falcons will likely be forced to keep at least one extra defensive tackle on the roster. That spot would likely be Lewis’s to lose. Although the team might be better off turning to the waiver wire this weekend to fill any void here. Lewis has been unimpressive the past two years when he has gotten on the field, and hasn’t really turned heads this preseason. He needs a strong performance against the Ravens, or his Falcon and NFL career may be over soon.

5. RB Gartrell Johnson/Antone Smith

If the Falcons intend to keep a fifth back on the roster, neither Johnson or Smith have shown much this preseason to make either a strong candidate for that spot. Tonight’s game may be their last opportunity to definitively show the Falcons brass that they deserve a roster spot, rather than simply earning one by default. Johnson at this point is probably the front runner, but the gap between the two isn’t wide enough where Smith can’t overcome it.

In this episode of the FalcFans podcast, Ryan and I talk about the Steelers preseason game as well as break down who we think will be on the Falcons final roster as cut day looms. Both of us draw lines in the sand over whether players such as Mike Johnson, Joe Hawley, Akeem Dent, Spencer Adkins, and Matt Bosher are going to make it. You’ll also hear Ryan’s reaction to the final revelation of what player Falcons radio man Beau Bock was describing as “icky balooky.” Ryan and I even get into a brief discussion of fantasy football and the Green Bay Packers in the end.

Read more…

Falcons defensive end Ray Edwards and guard Mike Johnson returned to practice on Sunday, although neither qualified as a full participant. Edwards practiced in pads for the first time since joining the Falcons on July 29. Johnson is expected to participate fully in practice beginning tomorrow according to Jay Adams of Atlanta Falcons.com. Johnson has been out of practice since Sunday, August 6, when he suffered a concussion. Both Edwards and Johnson missed Friday’s night preseason opener against the Dolphins.

Two other players that missed the Dolphin game: tight end Marquez Branson and defensive tackle Vance Walker are expected to return to practice Monday according to Knox Bardeen of CBS Sports.

Starting defensive tackle Corey Peters was injured during practice today, and was carted off the field with a left leg injury according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the AJC. There has not yet been an update on the extent of his injury.

The team also announced that Akeem Dent, Justin Peelle, and John Parker Wilson are likely going to be out for Friday night’s preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Wilson suffered a concussion during the Dolphin game in the third quarter. Dent and Peelle also played, but had limited snaps. Trey Lewis returned to practice today after injuring his arm against the Dolphins.

LB Akeem Dent

D. Orlando Ledbetter of the AJC tweeted that the Falcons have agreed to terms on a four-year deal with linebacker Akeem Dent, the team’s third round pick of this past year’s draft class. Earlier today, the Falcons came to terms with three of their other picks. It leaves only top pick Julio Jones and fifth rounder Jacquizz Rodgers as the team’s only unsigned rookies.

A deal for both unsigned rookies is likely imminent given that several of the players around where they were picked have signed and the slotting system that tends to surround draft pick signings. Jones was taken sixth overall, and this past year’s seventh overall choice, San Francisco 49er linebacker Aldon Smith has already agreed to a four-year, $14.4 million deal. Also the fourth overall choice, Cincinnati wide receiver A.J. Green has also signed a four-year, $19.7 million deal.

Rodgers was the 145th overall pick in the draft, and picks No. 146 through 151 have all signed contracts, as well as pick No. 143 (Buffalo Bills cornerback Josh Thomas).

All rookies as part of the new labor agreement will receive four-year deals. Teams will however have the option to add a fifth year to the deals of first round picks. Since Jones was a top-ten draft selection, his option will amount to the average of the ten most highly paid wide receivers in 2015.

UPDATE: Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post reports that Dent agreed to a four-year deal worth $2.76 million, and included a signing bonus of slightly under $543,000.