There was no stock report last year because I was too focused on deep-fried turkey, greens, stuffing, and mac and cheese than which Falcon players had gotten better or worse over the last week. So enjoy this stock report and some left overs if you still got any left.

Stock Up

Harvey Dahl – While Tyson Clabo probably wins the award for Mr. Consistency as far as the five starters go, typically Dahl gets the award for Mr. Impact. If and when Dahl blocks well, the Falcons ground game usually follows. Dahl’s play while not stellar, has been consistently at a higher level in recent weeks than earlier in the season.

Peria Jerry – Jerry has put together some fairly solid performances in recent weeks, at least relative to him providing very little in the first few weeks of the season. He’s shown improvement as a pass rusher, and has been able to get penetration at times vs. the run. If the Falcons were looking for another disruptive presence in the middle to team with Babineaux, then Jerry probably is their best option today.

Matt Bryant – Bryant has been money all year long, perfect 12 of 12 on field goals in the dome including several game winners. The Falcons can be very confident down the stretch that if they need a clutch field goal made at home, Bryant will come through.

Mike Peterson – Peterson  still has his struggles in coverage and the Falcons have done their best this season to try and disguise those issues. When Weatherspoon was sidelined, that was much harder to do with Peterson logging many more reps on passing downs. But now that Weatherspoon is back, Peterson can get back to what he does best which is play the run and be a tough presence inside. And he’s done exactly that in recent weeks.

Stock Down

Corey Peters – In my praise of Vance Walker two weeks ago, I mentioned that Peters has struggled against the run. Those struggles have continued, although not as glaringly so as they were about a month ago. But Peters remains the starter, and I’m not exactly sure why. It appears the Falcons have settled into a rotation where Walker gets a lot of snaps on run downs, and Jerry gets snaps on passing downs. And I guess Peters gets snaps on both because he’s not really excelling anywhere. And while Peters is still a rookie, and prone to rookie mistakes, he just isn’t making an impact when he’s on the field. I’m just not sold at this point in the year if the Falcons want a rotation that features its best interior defenders, he is really in the conversation.

Justin Blalock – Blalock did not play well vs. the Green Bay Packers. And while Sam Baker has merited much of the ire from Falcon fans this season, I think Blalock is more of a problem child on the Falcons weak left side. McClure, Clabo, and Dahl are fairly consistent with their level of play from week to week. The same can be said of Baker. And while that level of play is arguably mediocre most weeks, that’s at least consistently mediocre. Blalock is the blocker that is prone to the most wild swings from week to week and really from snap to snap. He has plenty of good moments, but seemingly just as many if not more more bad ones. And unless he can play at a consistently higher level down the stretch, he seems like the most likely candidate between himself, Dahl, and Clabo to get left out in the cold when the Falcons talk turkey (yes, pun intended!) about contracts after the season.

I’m not sure how regular this will be as the season unfolds, but I’ll try to do one each week if I can. Since this is the first game of the season, I really don’t have any excuses not to do it. But I’m going to be looking at the different matchups that I like and don’t like as the Falcons prepare for the Steelers.

Matchups I Like

Dennis Dixon vs. the Falcons defense

I know many Falcon fans were worried about the possibility of Dixon starting this week instead of Byron Leftwich. They’d rather face the statue of Leftwich rather than the mobile Dixon.

I’m not too worried. Dixon will likely be able to make some plays with his legs, but his accuracy and decision making are the biggest areas of concerns for the Steelers offense. He has only had limited work with the first team offense, so he isn’t likely to be on the same page with most of his receivers. He is only making his second NFL start, so he will also be prone to making a lot of rookie mistakes. How he recognizes defense, how he sees the field, and whether he can make good decisions and put the ball on the money with accuracy to his receivers must be a major concern for the Steelers brass, otherwise they would not have been so reluctant to start him.

The Falcons will likely look to confine him to the pocket where he is going to be less dangerous. Safeties Thomas DeCoud and Erik Coleman will likely be a big reason why if the Falcons are able to take advantage, sitting back and reading Dixon’s eyes and breaking plays on the ball. The hallmark of young quarterbacks is a tendency to stare down his targets, which allows defensive backs, especially safeties a greater opportunity to jump routes and break up plays.

Steelers Right OL vs. Falcons Left DL

This matchup features rookie center Maurkice Pouncey, right guard Trai Essex, and right tackle Flozell Adams versus the Falcons left side of their line which will feature mainly Kroy Biermann at left end, Peria Jerry at left tackle, and Jamaal Anderson splitting time at both spots.

Read more…

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.