Looking at several Falcon players that are in prime position in tonight’s preseason matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals to stand out and make a big push to make this Falcons team come September.

• WR Kevin Cone – While the offensive production of Cone and the other receivers is what is easiest to pay attention to, the key for Cone making the Falcons roster will be his performance on special teams. With D.J. Davis already putting some nice highlights there last week, it’s time for Cone to step up and start to make some key contributions. Otherwise regardless of his offensive potential, he won’t be a Falcon in 2012.

• WR Kerry Meier – Meier was highlighted last week, and will be so again. Against the Ravens, he played with the first unit taking over the third wide receiver spot for Harry Douglas and did not notch any production. With Douglas returning to the lineup, he’ll likely be pushed to the second units where he can start to make an impact on offense. While Meier’s roster spot is pretty much locked up, he needs to start producing on offense to verify that the Falcons depth is not weak at this position.

• DE Cliff Matthews – Matthews had a nice performance last week against the Ravens, and will need another solid to strong one tonight. He’s in a battle with Jonathan Massaquoi for the fifth defensive end spot. If push comes to shove, it’s likely that Matthews will be the odd man out if the team is forced to choose only one of the pair. But both players have performed well enough to think the Falcons might try and keep six ends. But that will only become a possibility if Matthews continues to play well.

• DT Micanor Regis – While Travian Robertson’s play was highlighted from last week’s preseason opener, Regis also made some things happen against the Ravens. Regis has the sort of bulk and presence in the middle to play the nose in a three-man front. While it seems doubtful that he’ll win an outright roster spot, continuing to play well this summer likely can lock up a practice squad spot for him. But his roster chances are enhanced if Vance Walker sits out once more tonight.

• LB Mike Peterson – He will get the start tonight for an injured Akeem Dent. Few have ever questioned Peterson’s ability to defend the run, and if Dent cannot show he’s significantly better in pass coverage, then it’s possible the team could lean towards the veteran Peterson as the starting middle linebacker. But he’ll need to stand out against the Bengals for that possibility to occur.

• CB Dominique Franks – It won’t really be Franks coverage abilities that will be worth monitoring, but his return skills. With the team electing not to use Douglas on returns, Franks has a perfect opportunity to solidify his hold on the position. Another productive night could be the nail in the coffin for that competition.

• S Shann Schillinger – Charles Mitchell made a bit of a name for himself last week on defense, and it’s time for Schillinger to step up his game a little. While Schillinger has proven himself to be one of the team’s best special teams players, he needs to showcase that he does offer some upside on regular defense to really solidify his roster prospects.

It’s time to look at which Falcon players have improved their stock and those that have not after the first preseason outing. This is mostly looking at who shined and who did not against the Ravens.

Stock Up

QB Dominique Davis – Davis benefited greatly from the lackluster night by both Chris Redman and John Parker Wilson. Besides Wilson running an effective 2-minute drill at the end of the half, both veteran passers looked very rusty against the Ravens. Davis showed some athleticism, using his legs to extend plays and also showed off his strong arm with some shots downfield. Davis still needs to polish up his footwork, mechanics, and tighten up his accuracy, but if he can build off last week’s performance against the Bengals, he will be in prime position to potentially earn a roster spot.

WR DJ. Davis – The No. 5 wide receiver spot will almost certainly be determined by special teams ability. And Davis stood out against the Ravens, particularly with his excellent open field stop when working as a gunner on a punt returner, tripping up Bobby Rainey in the 3rd quarter to cause a 1-yard loss on a Dawson Zimmerman punt. Kevin Cone looked to have the inside track at the spot, but Davis is making up ground.

OL Peter Konz – Konz had his moments when working at right guard with the second team offensive line, showing ability to get some push. He missed a block while pulling inside on a play, but then helped make up for with a good block downfield when he pulled outside on the next play. Konz had some struggles when he moved to center for the third unit. But if he’s going to make up ground against Garrett Reynolds for the starting right guard spot, he got off to a solid start.

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The team announced on Saturday that they had signed veteran fullback Lousaka Polite and tight end Chase Coffman. In addition to the move to place fullback Bradie Ewing on injured reserve, the team waived/injured tight end Adam Nissley and waived punter Dawson Zimmerman to make room for the players. Alongside Ewing, Nissley suffered an injury during Thursday night’s preseason opener against the Baltimore Ravens.

Polite, 30, was originally an undrafted free agent out of Pittsburgh for the Dallas Cowboys in 2004 has bounced around the league with several teams over the years. He played three seasons with the Cowboys, then had a brief stint with the Chicago Bears (2007) before landing with the Miami Dolphins the following year. Three seasons with the Dolphins, and he was cut last summer. He wound up working out for the Falcons in October following the injury to Ovie Mughelli, but ultimately the Falcons settled on signing Mike Cox. Polite finished the year with the New England Patriots, signing with them prior to the final week of the regular season. The Patriots cut him this past March. For his career, Polite has appeared in 76 games over eight seasons, with 27 starts. He has rushed 95 times for 296 yards (3.1 avg) and 1 touchdown, and caught 41 passes for 233 yards (5.7 avg) and a touchdown.

Coffman, 25, was a highly productive tight end when he came out of Missouri, helping him to become a third round pick with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2009. But he struggled transitioning from the Missouri spread system to the pro game, as well as dealt with injuries causing him to only appear in 6 games in two seasons with the Bengals. He spent most of the 2010 and 2011 seasons on that team’s practice squad. Following last year, he was picked up by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but was cut this past Monday. His father, Paul, was a Pro Bowl tight end primarily with the Green Bay Packers from 1978-88. For his career, Coffman has 3 catches for 30 yards, which he achieved in 2010.

Coffman’s addition is interesting in the sense that most of the reserve tight ends competing for the No. 3 spot behind Tony Gonzalez and Michael Palmer are known as blockers, while Coffman is primarily known as a pass-catching tight end. Both Polite and Coffman will attempt to beat the odds of players added during the middle of training camp that can make the final roster.

Peter Konz

While Mike Smith seemed glowing of Garrett Reynolds, the writing is on the wall for Peter Konz to assume the starting right guard position. It’s interesting to see how Smith talks about Reynolds as opposed to Sam Baker. Smith has gone out of his way over the past few months to praise Baker and talk about how confident the team is in him. The writing suggests that as long as Baker stays healthy, the left tackle position belongs to him. Note Smith talks about Baker’s potential to impact the team long-term. And while Reynolds has reportedly improved, it’s interesting that Smith appended his statements about Reynolds being the starter with the words “right now.” Suggesting that the competition is much more open and that the Falcons aren’t ready to commit to Reynolds beyond these opening weeks of training camp.

The Falcons used a high pick on Konz, and that gives him a strong probability that he will wind up the opening day starter at right guard. All five of the Falcons first round picks started on Day One, and had William Moore not been injured during his rookie camp, it’s likely he would have joined Curtis Lofton to make all of their second round picks to be opening day starters.

The Falcons won’t simply hand the job to Konz. He is playing guard for the first time in his career, and it will take time to adjust to it. But if Konz does show growth over the course of the next few weeks, don’t be surprised if Konz is named the starter by the third preseason game against the Dolphins.

Mike Peterson

The Falcons announced the re-signing of linebacker Mike Peterson today. The team was looking for linebacker depth after injuries to Lofa Tatupu and Matt Hansen. Peterson first joined the Falcons in 2009, and played three seasons for the team. He was a free agent after last year where he served primarily as a reserve. In 15 games, including 4 starts, he recorded 22 tackles and 1 interception.

With the Falcons, Peterson played primarily weakside linebacker. But in previous seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars he played middle linebacker. Peterson has been the de facto leader of the Falcons linebacker group since first joining the team and his veteran presence should give the team a viable insurance policy in case Akeem Dent doesn’t run away with the starting middle linebacker position. He also gives the team an experienced backup on the weakside, where the top reserve was Robert James, who has only played in 2 games in 4 seasons with the Falcons.  Peterson turned 36 this past June.

The interesting thing about training camp competitions is that they are very fluid. A player can get hurt, and thus give an opportunity for another player to nail down a job. Sometimes players are given opportunities, but don’t take advantage of those opportunities. It often means teams have to look outside their 90-man roster to address these concerns.

Injuries are impossible to predict, but are certain to occur. So with that in mind, I won’t try to project where they might occur. But that doesn’t mean that the Falcons don’t have some areas of weakness that by the end of camp, they might try to bolster. Last year, it was their depth in the secondary, as they added James Sanders and Kelvin Hayden at the start of the regular season. The Falcons have regularly picked up veteran players over the course of training camp and after the final cutdowns to bolster weak areas, and this year that could again happen. The positions that entering camp seem to be the most tenuous appear to be depth at tight end and the open competition they have for their return duties.

With that in mind, here’s some players in other NFL camps that the Falcons could be monitoring and keep on their radar as additions the team could make at the end of August or beginning of September.

RB Deji Karim, Colts
Karim handled return duties while in Jacksonville, and his familiarity with Dirk Koetter’s offense could make him a pickup late in the summer. He’s likely on the outside looking in as far as making the Colts roster.

RB Marcus Thigpen, Dolphins
Thigpen is a dark horse, but he played for running backs coach Gerald Brown while they were both at Indiana. Thigpen was a prolific kick returner during his time there, and could be a guy on the Falcons radar as a potential returner.

WR Ted Ginn, 49ers
Some speculate that Ginn could be on the outs given the improved depth the 49ers added at wide receiver by picking up Randy Moss, Mario Manningham, and A.J. Jenkins, as well as the improvements Kyle Williams has made in the return game. Ginn is set to make around $1 million this year and could be cut if he doesn’t outright win a spot as a returner. He played for Keith Armstrong and Terry Robiskie during his rookie season in Miami. If the Falcons were to go after Ginn, it would likely require them to have to part ways with a draft pick since he’ll likely be a hot commodity on the open market. He was after all arguably the league’s top returner last season.

WR Michael Jenkins, Vikings
The former Falcon is potentially a player that could be cut by the Vikings. And if the price is right, the Falcons could bring Jenkins back. While Jenkins wouldn’t help their return game, he does have experience playing special teams and could be a potential upgrade over Kerry Meier.

WR Johnny Knox, Bears
If Knox was healthy, he would be an ideal pickup for the Falcons. His vertical abilities coupled with his return skills would make him a great pickup by the Falcons. But Knox is coming off a severe neck injury, and his football-playing future is questionable.

WR Tiquan Underwood, Buccaneers
Underwood played under Koetter in Jacksonville, has experience as a return threat. He might make the Bucs roster because he played for new head coach Greg Schiano at Rutgers, but they have a lot of bodies in camp and it won’t be a guarantee.

Others:
WR Jacoby Jones, Ravens
WR Brandon Tate, Bengals
WR Roscoe Parrish, Chargers

TE Chris Cooley, Redskins
Cooley has dealt with injuries the past few years and might be on the outs in Washington. Questions about his durability would need to be answered, but a healthy Cooley would definitely be one of the top No. 2 tight ends in the league in a Falcons uniform.

TE Ben Watson, Browns
Watson is penciled in as the Browns starter is probably safe. But with his higher salary, there’s a chance that the Browns turn to the young guns in Evan Moore and Jordan Cameron if need be. Watson is a Georgia grad that can definitely add depth as a blocker and receiver.

TE Daniel Fells, Patriots
Fells was picked up by the Patriots in the off-season, but is no sure bet to make the roster as he has dealt with injury during the off-season.

TE Daniel Graham, free agent
The Falcons kicked the tires on Graham earlier this off-season, and if need be will re-open that door if they don’t like the way competition fares in camp.

Dunta Robinson

One of the most interesting battles that will come in training camp this summer will occur in the secondary, as the Falcons look to shuffle their depth at cornerback.

With the addition of Asante Samuel joining Dunta Robinson and Brent Grimes, the Falcons are now three-deep at the cornerback position, and intend to take full advantage of that this season. The nickel package is expected to often be utilized as the Falcons base package with the intent of getting the best 11 defenders on the field at the same time.

But what needs to occur first in camp, is which of the three players will emerge as the two everydown players. Two of the players will play virtually every snap on defense, with the third nickel corner subbing in on passing situations. That third corner will play the majority of snaps on defense overall, but it won’t be every snap. Last year when Grimes was healthy, he and Robinson averaged about 63 snaps per game as starters, while the nickel corner was on the field (a combo of Kelvin Hayden, Dominique Franks, and Chris Owens) for about 36 snaps per game. The latter number is likely to increase, potentially to as high as 45-50 snaps per game.

Robinson and Grimes are the incumbents, and as such got most of the first team reps during the off-season. That means that Samuel will be coming off the bench as the nickel corner. If that remains the case into the season, then in those nickel situations Samuel will play on the outside across from Grimes with Robinson moving inside to the slot corner spot. This is arguably the best usage of the three players since among the three Samuel is the weakest in run support and thus limiting his first and second down reps could streamline his usage. But at the same time, Samuel is also the best playmaker of the group, and thus it would make sense to maximize that ability by putting him on the field as much as possible. Robinson on the other hand is the least likely to make plays in coverage, and while his strength has historically been run support, that was an area where he struggled throughout the 2011 season. He’ll need to show the coaching staff this summer that 2011 was an aberration, and his former toughness against the run has returned.

Franks, Owens, and Darrin Walls will be competing for the opportunity to be the first player off the bench in the event of an injury. Franks is the most likely of the group to win the job. He had his share of moments last year as an injury replacement for Grimes down the stretch. While Franks is not well-suited to playing in the slot, he does have a solid skillset that can make him a potentially effective starter on the outside. And given the looming contract issues that both Robinson and Grimes face in the future, the team may want to groom Franks as a potential replacement come 2013.

The addition of Samuel to the roster means that the Falcons could be parting ways with either Owens or Walls. Walls shined last summer but in the face of minimal competition due to the fact that he was competing with other undrafted free agents. He won’t have such a luxury this year, as he’ll likely be going directly up against Owens for the fifth and likely final cornerback slot. Owens has struggled throughout the years when lined up in the slot, but when he’s been an outside corner as a rookie and late last year, he has been a solid reserve. That experience and versatility coupled with Owens being one of the team’s better producers on special teams should give him an edge to win the job. But it’s no slam dunk. Owens is entering the final year of his contract, and while Walls is probably never going to be a better player than Owens in the long run, the fact that Walls is two years younger and cheaper could give him a slight edge in the competition. The key for Walls is showing that he can also be a very good special teams player. The positive for Walls is that he remains eligible for the practice squad, so it’s possible they could keep both.

There will be added competition at cornerback this summer. The team picked up Robert McClain in the off-season as well as adding undrafted free agents Marty Markett and Peyton Thompson. McClain was a solid special teams player as a rookie in 2010 with the Panthers. And Markett is a track guy from South Carolina that could potentially be an excellent gunner. Thompson has solid cover skills and the sort of toughness that could also make him a capable special teams player. Because of their potential to impact on special teams, all three players have a legit chance of making the roster.

At safety, the starters are settled with Thomas DeCoud at free safety and William Moore at strong safety. The team made a good decision to upgrade their depth by signing veteran Chris Hope. Hope will be the primary backup at strong safety, but he also posseses the experience to fit nicely as the team’s top backup at free safety as well. All three players have firm holds on their roster spots.

The key competition at safety will come for who wins the fourth safety spot. Shann Schillinger will compete with rookie draft pick Charles Mitchell, along with undrafted rookies Chad Faulcon and former practice squad player Suaesi Tuimaunei. Schillinger is one of the team’s top special teams players, which gives him an edge in the competition. But the team likes Mitchell and his skillset should also translate well to producing on special teams. Mitchell is not a great cover guy, but is an ace run defender despite being undersized. Schillinger has not shown a lot on defense the past two summers but he’s a free safety while Mitchell is a pure strong safety. And since Hope is primarily a strong safety, that also gives Schillinger the potential nod. The Falcons may opt to keep five safeties particularly if Schillinger manages to win the job, but Mitchell may also be destined for the practice squad at least early in the year. As for Faulcon and Tuimaunei, they are likely competing for practice squad spots, but will be hard-pressed to do so especially if the Falcons manage to keep five safeties. Their best chances will be impacting on special teams.

Lawrence Sidbury

Relative to many positions on the Falcons roster, the defensive line won’t see a lot of shakeup during training camp. The four starters are pretty much settled and the majority of the reserves are fairly secure in their roster spots. The brunt of the competition will be based around many of those reserve players trying to carve out larger niches in the Falcons rotation.

The four starters that are likely to open the season include John Abraham and Ray Edwards at defensive end and Jonathan Babineaux and Corey Peters at defensive tackle. As far as the starters go, the issues to watch are how much improvement both Edwards and Peters make, and whether Babineaux can bounce back after a subpar 2011.

Edwards was hampered by an injury last summer, but also never seemed to mesh with Brian VanGorder. New defensive coordinator Mike Nolan hopes to fix that issue, and it seems that Edwards has already warmed up to him and his new scheme. Last season, Peters flashed top-level playmaking skills, but still has yet to develop the sort of consistency to put together a complete season. It will be interesting to see whether or not the fact that he won’t have to look too much over his shoulder will drive him for greater success this season. Babineaux was hampered by an injury early last year, and the Falcons are hopeful that his production will return to a level where it was prior to 2011 when he was one of the most disruptive interior players in the league.

For bench players like Kroy Biermann and Lawrence Sidbury, both won’t have to worry too much about not collecting a check from the Falcons this year. Last year Biermann stole reps in nickel situations from Edwards. He’ll be competing to show that the new deal he signed this past off-season was money well worth spending. Biermann likely benefited to a degree from the relationship with VanGorder, and will have to find a way to similarly impress Nolan that he is worthy of being the top backup in the rotation. Sidbury was no sure thing to make the roster last summer, so a year has made a world of difference. Sidbury flashed potential last season and will be working to carve out a larger spot in the rotation. He’ll push Biermann to be the team’s top reserve. He’ll need to show improvement as a run defender, where Biermann has the edge. Abraham’s playing time is stream-lined so that the majority of snaps he comes off the field will be in running situations. And if Edwards can bounce back and earn Nolan’s trust on passing situations, then there may not be as many opportunities there as well. Becoming a more all-around player will be the key to Sidbury taking the next step.

Outside those six, the roster spots aren’t solidified. The Falcons will likely keep at least nine, but potentially ten players to beef up their rotation. A big part of the competition will be at tackle, where Peria Jerry, Vance Walker, and rookie Travian Robertson will all be competing for playing time. Jerry’s roster spot is probably the safest because his contract is structured so that cutting him doesn’t help the Falcons cap situation to a significant degree. And Vance Walker has proven himself over the years to be a valuable rotation player, making him less likely to be cut. Robertson will need a strong summer to move up the depth chart, but should be kept as a potential fifth tackle. The Falcons carried five tackles for much of last year with Carlton Powell in that role. That makes undrafted rookie Micanor Regis on the outside looking in as far as the roster goes, since he’s unlikely to leap frog all three players to make the team. But with a strong summer, he definitely can be a candidate for the practice squad.

At end, one of the big battles will come in the competition between Jonathan Massaquoi and Cliff Matthews for the fifth defensive end spot. It’s unlikely that the Falcons will try and carry six defensive ends. It’s not impossible that the Falcons may opt to carry six defensive ends, particularly if they try and work either Massaquoi or Matthews at outside linebacker. But given only four ends will likely be active on game days, carrying a sixth player will mean that the roster could be depleted elsewhere. Massaquoi has the edge given that he has a bit higher upside as a pass rusher. Most years the Falcons have only seen their fifth defensive end as a special teams player, which may limit Massaquoi’s contributions as a rookies. But if he has a strong summer, he could push for playing time during the regular season comparable to Sidbury back in 2009. Even if the Falcons part ways with Matthews, he is still a prime candidate for the practice squad. He will need to have a strong summer to make the roster.

Also competing will be Louis Nzegwu, who is in a similar boat as Regis in facing long odds to make the roster. But he has the sort of athletic talent that can make him a nice project to carry and develop on the practice squad for a year or two.

Overall the issue along the defensive line won’t about shuffling around the roster, but more about Nolan trying to get more out of the current slate of players.

Sam Baker

The offensive line is likely to be the most contested offensive position group in camp. Unlike the other offensive positions, the Falcons aren’t currently set on their starting lineup. The brunt of the competition will come at the two weakest spots from a year ago: left tackle and right guard. Sam Baker is the incumbent at left tackle, although he remains a question mark because he was effectively benched last year after a very poor start to the season. Will Svitek replaced him and proved to be an upgrade. But the team remains optimistic about Baker’s abilities, excusing much of his struggles due to injuries. The team drafted rookie Lamar Holmes as well in the third round, and he’ll push for time as well. But by missing rookie mini-camps with a foot injury likely will have Holmes climbing an uphill battle in camp to gain the starting spot. More than likely the spot will come down to Baker or Svitek, with Baker having the advantage going into camp because he worked the majority of first team snaps in the off-season.

At right guard, the team could have a new face as two of their off-season additions will be competing there. Free agent pickup Vince Manuwai and top pick Peter Konz will be pushing for playing time behind Garrett Reynolds, who is considered the incumbent. Reynolds got the majority of first team snaps during OTAs, a small surprise given that Reynolds, like Baker, lost his job in 2011. He was replaced after a sluggish start by Joe Hawley, who was an improvement but only slightly over the second half of the season. Reynolds has struggled with extensive reps at the guard position largely due to his height, which is disadvantageous inside at guard. Manuwai worked mostly with the second unit during minicamps, and is the strongest candidate among the two to push for time. Konz played exclusively as a center during his days at Wisconsin, and split time between both spots this off-season. He still has a small learning curve at guard, and while he will be given a legitimate opportunity to win the starting spot, he’ll likely be on the outside looking in.

The other three roster spots are pretty much locked up as the team brought back center Todd McClure along with left guard Justin Blalock and right tackle Tyson Clabo. Blalock and Clabo won’t face any competition for their jobs, while McClure will be pushed by Hawley. McClure has never lost his starting spot in his 13-year career, so it doesn’t seem likely that he will do so this summer. But the Falcons will give Hawley a chance to emerge as the team wants to get more physical up front. Hawley was miscast as a guard last year, but his skillset is much more suited to playing the pivot where he is fiesty and physical. That sort of mentality will be welcomed at the center position. But he’s not nearly as polished as McClure and certainly lacks McClure’s extensive experience and knowledge calling out blocking assignments.

But even if players like Hawley, Konz, and Holmes don’t win starting positions, they are virtual locks to be among the final nine or ten blockers that could make the 53-man roster. Between Manuwai and Reynolds as well as Baker and Svitek, it doesn’t seem like a sure bet that all will make the roster if they don’t win the starting spot. Svitek is probably the most valuable as a reserve given his versatility to serve as swing tackle and potential blocking tight end.

Also vying for positions include former draftees Andrew Jackson and Mike Johnson. Johnson was a third round pick, but injuries have limited his development over the past two summers. He had the potential to win the starting gig from Reynolds last summer, but an untimely concussion forced him out of the lineup, allowing Reynolds the time to solidify the spot. Jackson will likely get a boost because the Falcons new position coach is his former head coach Pat Hill from Fresno State. The team has been working to cross-train both players for multiple positions to give them some potential added value. Both players have gotten reps at tackle this off-season. But both are fighting an uphill battle to make the roster certainly due to the more experienced players ahead of them. It is noteworthy that both players still remain eligible for the team’s practice squad, although it doesn’t seem likely at this point that either would clear waivers if released by the team.

Also competing in camp are undrafted rookies Bryce Harris, Tyler Horn, and Phillip Manley. All three are longshots to make the roster, but can certainly impress enough to make bids for the practice squad. Harris also followed Hill from Fresno State, but is facing long odds given the added depth at the tackle position. A bit undersized, Harris is an ideal candidate to be placed on the practice squad for a year or two to add some bulk. Horn is stuck behind a relatively deep center group in Atlanta, as he is fourth on the depth chart. And the fact that Hawley and Konz add the versatility of also playing guard, it will make it that much harder for Horn to stand out. Manley offers good size for a guard, but he too is stuck behind a bunch of bodies.

Mike Smith has stressed trying to bolster competition in camp, and very few positions embody that mentality than the offensive line. Its struggles a year ago precipitate that renewed focus on getting the best players on the field. And while the majority of the team’s starting positions are likely settled, there will be a maelstrom brewing as players compete for second unit spots and their football-playing lives. Predicting who the final nine or ten will be on the roster is the most tenuous of any position group. Three of the starters (Blalock, Clabo, and McClure) and three reserves (Hawley, Holmes, and Konz) are fairly safe bets. But beyond that, the last handful of spots will be completely up for grabs.

Michael Palmer

The tight end position should feature some heavy competition throughout training camp for the Falcons, as the team looks to expand its depth behind long-time starter Tony Gonzalez.

The team made the decision to bring Gonzalez back for one more year last January, a smart decision considering his future Hall of Fame status. But one of the weaknesses of the Falcons position is that they do not have great depth behind Gonzalez. His heir apparent as the team’s future starter is currently not viewed to be on the roster. And part of the competition in camp will be to show if any viable long-term options emerge.

The most likely candidate will be Michael Palmer, who will get the first training camp of his career where he is largely untested for his roster position. Palmer will be a focus of this year’s camp. How well he performs as Gonzalez’s primary backup could determine how much trust this team has in their depth at the position. While Palmer isn’t currently viewed as a potential replacement for Gonzalez due to the sharp drop-off in receiving abilities, a strong summer could force the Falcons to reconsider their long-term prospects of Palmer’s future. He is seen mostly as a blocker and has been used that way each of the past two seasons, but that could change if he can have a strong summer as a receiver particularly if he gets more work with the first team units than in previous summers.

The brunt of the competition will come behind Palmer where the Falcons have multiple candidates competing for what will likely be the third and final spot on the depth chart. Tommy Gallarda, a second-year player, is the most experienced of the group having spent the majority of last year on the Falcons practice squad. The fact that he spent time in Jacksonville’s training camp last summer where Dirk Koetter got a good look at him should give him a leg up from the others in terms of making the roster. Gallarda is a blocker first, which is likely the role the Falcons envision for the third guy on the depth chart.

But he will face competition from undrafted rookies LaMark Brown, Adam Nissley, and Aron White. Brown is a converted former running back and receiver that has good athleticism and speed. But he’s undersized for a tight end at 228 pounds, and will have to showcase his receiving potential as an H-back. Nissley excelled at blocking at Central Florida and with his size he could push for a role there. White is an athletic tight end that worked primarily as a blocker for Georgia, but that was in part because of the other talent they had at the position. All three players have solid chance to make the practice squad and potentially the roster.

Even if any of the untested players make the roster the Falcons might minimize their playing time, instead opting to use a third tackle on gamedays to function as the extra blocker in jumbo packages. This is what the Falcons often did in 2010 when Palmer was a rookie, utilizing Will Svitek in that role. It’s also possible that when cuts begin in late August, the team will begin to scour the waiver wire for a more proven veteran, similarly to what they did a year ago by picking up Reggie Kelly during camp. The team already worked out veteran Daniel Graham in June, indicating that they understand there are some question marks at the position. Depending on how things play out in camp and the preseason will determine if those questions are answered down the line.