Like the running back position, this unit could be heavily influenced by free agency. The Falcons will have to make important decisions on three of their starters: Tyson Clabo, Harvey Dahl, and Justin Blalock.

Clabo is likely to be a high priority for the team to retain. And if they do so, it will go a long way to solidify their front line and maintain some continuity. It remains to be seen whether the Falcons will prefer to keep either Dahl or Blalock, although it seems likely at least one will remain. Dahl is probably the safer bet since he appears to be a favorite of position coach Paul Boudreau.

Ideally, the Falcons will be able to keep all three players. If they are successful in achieving that goal, then competition during camp at this position won’t be particularly compelling. The most interesting battle will likely then be between Jose Valdez and Will Svitek for the swing tackle position. Valdez’s practice squad eligibility is likely to expire this season, so if the Falcons want to continue to develop him, they will probably need to do so by giving him a regular roster spot.

However, if even one of those free agents depart, it will make things a lot more interesting. If all three depart, it’s likely to be a free-for-all.

The most likely candidate to replace Blalock at left guard is Mike Johnson. He got the majority of reps there last summer, and he’d be the front runner. Johnson didn’t have a great summer a year ago, but the team was high on him when they drafted him in the third round and will give him every opportunity to win the vacant position.

His most likely competition will come in the form of Garrett Reynolds, who is also the primary reserve at right guard behind Dahl. Reynolds also adds the value of playing right tackle as well, although his primary position in inside. His chances of earning a starting job will increase if Dahl is the one that departs, although Johnson would probably be the top candidate there as well for reasons mentioned previously.

If Clabo isn’t kept, then Svitek is likely to be the front runner to replace him and he’ll be pushed by both Reynolds and Valdez. Svitek is the more known commodity and proven run blocker, making him a good fit at right tackle. Valdez is an intriguing dark horse, showcasing his superior athleticism last summer.

Left tackle Sam Baker is unlikely to be pushed in camp, as the Falcons will likely want to retain as much continuity as possible. The same goes for veteran center Todd McClure. Second-year pro Joe Hawley is his heir apparent. Hawley also garnered reps at guard last season, but probably won’t be a serious contender to become a starter there unless Johnson and/or Reynolds struggle.

The Falcons drafted Andrew Jackson to bolster depth and competition. But he’ll be hard-pressed to make his way into the likely to be nine roster spots unless at least two of the Falcons free agents depart. He is most likely to be competing for a practice squad spot, although a solid summer may convince the team to keep ten blockers instead of the typical nine.

Also on the roster is Rob Bruggeman, although he remains a long shot unless there is an injury to one of the centers. The Falcons probably will sign a few undrafted or street free agents to fill out the roster here, with all just being camp bodies competing for a chance to make the practice squad.

Recapping news and headlines involving the Falcons from the week of June 26…

Stephen Nicholas

‘Big’ Chance Nicholas returns

The Florida Times-Union visited Falcons linebacker Stephen Nicholas at his youth football camp last weekend to discuss the possibility of what he might do this season. Nicholas is a prospective free agent. Nicholas indicated that he wants to test the market, but also said there is a “big” chance that he will return to Atlanta. The Falcons tagged Nicholas with a restricted free agent tender, which he did not sign. But if the Collective Bargaining Agreement is made before the start of the 2011 season, then Nicholas due to having four years of experience should become an unrestricted free agent. Nicholas was a regular attendee of the Falcons player-organized “Camp Exile” during the month of June. (Source: Tania Ganguli, Florida Times-Union)

Schillinger at around 85 percent

Writing up some observations from the Falcons player-organized “Camp Exile,” D. Orlando Ledbetter indicates that free safety Shann Schillinger, who is coming off a broken ankle he suffered in the penultimate game of last season is around 85 percent recovered. Schillinger indicated that he is making steady progress daily on his recovery and can participate in football-related drills, including 7-on-7 drills at Camp Exile. He appeared with a notable limp during the final practice. Schillinger is expected to have a bigger role this year on defense, as he will be tasked with replacing veteran Erik Coleman. (Source: D. Orlando Ledbetter, Atlanta-Journal Constitution)

Mularkey excited about the upcoming year

Falcons offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey was enjoying some vacationing time in Cherrokee County, North Carolina when the Andrews Journal caught up with him to discuss the upcoming season. Mularkey spoke on his desire to try and keep the Falcons offensive line intact, due to three of the team’s five starter being impending free agents.

We had five fantastic guys last season. They are a special group, and I wish we could keep them together forever. They are one of the most physical offensive lines in the league. If we don’t sign them back up, it will be disappointing … but that is just business in the NFL.

Mularkey also broached the topic of the Falcons incoming rookie class, praising wideout Julio Jones. He also expressed confidence that even without contact with the coaches, those rookies would be getting a lot of help from Matt Ryan during player-organized workouts, calling the team’s fourth-year quarterback a “coach on the field.” (Source: Robert Horne, Andrews Journal)

Falcons ‘not panicked’ about O-line

On the subject of the potential impending shakeup of the Falcons offensive line, Dan Pompei writes that the Falcons wont’ be too worried if they lose multiple starters via free agency. Offensive tackle Tyson Clabo, and guards Harvey Dahl and Justin Blalock are potential free agents. Per Pompei, the team is confident that three of the linemen they have drafted over the past three drafts: Garrett Reynolds, Mike Johnson, and Joe Hawley, can potentially fill the voids left by any of those players. Reynolds has worked primarily as a reserve at right guard behind Dahl, but played right tackle while in college, making him a possible candidate to replace Clabo. Johnson played left guard last season behind Blalock. Hawley has worked primarily as the backup center behind Todd McClure, but has also gotten reps at the guard spots as well. (Source: Dan Pompei, National Football Post)

Jackson working out on his own

Falcons took Fresno State guard Andrew Jackson in the seventh round of this year’s draft. And while he did not attend any of the team’s player-organized workouts since being drafted, or will be attending along with some of his other new teammates at the NFLPA-organized rookie symposium this week, Jackson has been keeping busy. He has been staying in shape and working out at facilities at his alma mater. He also has spent time visiting local high school football camps to talk to the kids about football. (Source: Anthony Barstow, Grass Valley Union)

Harvey Dahl

On Monday, I stated that the team’s first priority when it comes to free agency if and when it begins was re-signing tackle Tyson Clabo. But shortly after, the Falcons are going to be in a situation where they are asked to prioritize one of their guards.

Ideally, the Falcons can bring back both left guard Justin Blalock and right guard Harvey Dahl. But they may be put in a situation where they have to push for one to stay, and be willing to let the other walk when it comes to negotiatons.

And there is certainly is a worthwhile debate on either side when deciding which of the two players should be kept first.

PRODUCTION

First, let’s start break down their 2010 seasons statistically. I’ll be using Moneyball for this. Over the course of the entire 2010 season they were about even, winding up with $24 earned for Blalock and $25 for Dahl.

Blalock’s production was fairly consistent throughout the entire season, earning $5, $7, $5.5, and $6.5 in each respective quarter. Dahl’s spiked in the middle of the season, starting with a $4.5 over the first quarter, then $10.5, $10, and finishing with $0 earned in the final quarter of the season. Clearly we can see that Blalock ended the season relatively strong in comparison to Dahl.

Blalock did get better as the year went on. In the first half of the season, he tallied 10 missed blocks and 5 pressures allowed. In the final 8 games, he had only 3.5 missed blocks and no pressures allowed. That dichotomy was not seen with Dahl, as he had 5 missed blocks in each half of the season, and allowed 3 pressures in the first half and 4.5 in the second half of the year.
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OT Sam Baker

I keep seeing a bunch of mocks having the Falcons take an offensive linemen in the first round of the draft, and frankly from where I’m sitting, I think the odds are very, very, very low that happens. In fact, I think the odds are fairly low that the Falcons will take an offensive lineman at any point in the draft, let alone the first round. And I’ll explain why, and much of it has to do with the labor strife the league is currently undergoing.

I’m not certain what is going to become of the CBA labor situation the rest of this week or going forward. But let’s look at both scenarios: (1) the pessimistic one where a lockout occurs and there is essentially no player movement between now and the draft and afterwards. And (2) the optimistic one in that a new CBA gets hammered out at some point in the next seven weeks before the draft and that we get some semblance of free agency and a relatively normal off-season. How does either scenario affect the Falcons offensive line situation?

We know that Tyson Clabo, Harvey Dahl, and Justin Blalock all had their contracts expire at the end of the 2010 season. The Falcons quickly were able to re-sign reserve Will Svitek last week, getting him locked up for two more seasons as a Falcon. But those three players that aren’t yet signed represent 60% of the Falcons starting lineup, and arguably the best 60%. Clabo landed a Pro Bowl bid this year, and Harvey Dahl quietly had a second solid year in a Falcon uniform. And even Justin Blalock, the player I thought going into this season was the weakest link of the front five improved his play, and arguably was our most consistent blocker over the second half of the season.

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The offensive line may be the only area of the team’s offense that might see a change in the starting lineup this season.

That would likely come at guard, as third round pick Mike Johnson pushes for playing time. More than likely, Justin Blalock will be looking over his shoulder more than Harvey Dahl, since Johnson should have an easier transition to the pros playing on the left side rather than the right. But more than likely, Blalock will retain his starting gig as the Falcons try to build and maintain continuity up front.

Even with the starting lineup likely to go unchanged, there will be a ton of competition for the reserve spots. A typical NFL team only has to keep eight linemen, although the Falcons kept nine for most last season. Because the team will have one or two less players than there are positions on the line, versatility is very important.

Will Svitek can play either tackle position. Quinn Ojinnaka has experience at all five positions. Garrett Reynolds worked both at guard and tackle last summer. Brett Romberg has also played both center and guard in Atlanta. And rookies Johnson and Joe Hawley also have experience playing more than one position in college. Those five players will be the most likely to land the four likely to be available reserve spots.

More than likely, the Falcons would like to keep both rookies on the roster. But just in case neither is quite ready to contribute right away off the bench, the need for the two remaining veterans to be able to play all five positions increases.

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The Falcons announced that linebacker Robert James will be suspended for the first four games of the 2010 regular season due to violation of the league’s substance abuse policy due to performance enhancers. James will remain eligible to participate in the Falcons preseason and training camp activities.

James was a fifth round pick for the Falcons in 2008. He sat out his rookie season with a head injury. He spent most of last season on the Falcons practice squad, but was promoted to the active roster for the season finale and appeared in that game.

He is the second Falcon player to be suspended for the beginning of the season. Guard Quinn Ojinnaka will also be suspended for the season opener due to a May 2009 battery incident against his wife.

No word on whether the suspensions will impact either players’ ability to make the teams’ final roster. The addition of top pick Sean Weatherspoon coupled with his suspension could impact his ability to make a reserve spot. Ojinnaka will also be competed with rookies Mike Johnson and Joe Hawley for a reserve guard position.

OG Mike Johnson

Adam Schefter of ESPN tweets that the Falcons have signed third round pick guard Mike Johnson to a four-year contract. Johnson is the fifth of the Falcons total of seven draft picks to sign a deal, leaving just fifth rounder Kerry Meier and top pick Sean Weatherspoon left to be inked.

Johnson was taken with the final pick of the third round. He was a three-year starter at Alabama playing both guard and tackle. Terms of his contract are undisclosed.

Now that I’ve had a day to let the draft sink in, everybody wants to start grading drafts. Well, here are mine:

1/19. LB Sean Weatherspoon, Missouri
This pick didn’t have me jumping for joy, maybe because I expected it the minute Brandon Graham was snatched up by the Eagles. Perhaps I had set myself up to think we were going to fix our defensive end position with this pick. But that shouldn’t mean I’m disappointed with this pick at all. Weatherspoon is going to be a fixture on our defenses for years to come with the potential to make multiple Pro Bowls. He fits very well in our defense, with his speed, range, and his eagerness to hit. He has good coverage ability that means he’ll be able to cover tight ends like Kellen Winslow and backs like Reggie Bush in our division. His intensity and fierceness make him a near perfect match to put alongside Curtis Lofton. The only real question is just how soon will the Falcons try to reap the benefits of this selection. Weatherspoon is a natural weakside linebacker, and will be miscast on the strongside. The Falcons could move Peterson to the strongside where he played a bit in Jacksonville to try and put their best three linebackers on the field at once. Or they could keep Nicholas in the lineup, and instead trying to bring along Spoon a bit more slowly, incorporating him in subpackages, particularly on passing downs. It really doesn’t matter to me, either way I think Spoon will begin to make his presence known as a rookie. And he’ll almost certainly be the starter in 2011 regardless of what happens next year. GRADE: A

3/83. DT Corey Peters, Kentucky
Dimitroff indicated the team really wanted to address their depth at defensive tackle, and basically “reached” on Peters because they felt that he wasn’t going to be available later in the draft. I buy that, and I can understand why the Falcons liked Peters more than other defensive tackle prospects that were available. He has a good motor, is a capable pass rusher, and should fit nicely in our rotation behind our starters. I don’t really see starting potential with him, and in the middle of the third round you prefer to get guys that can start down the road. But Peters will definitely contribute even if it’s not as a starter. He should be the top tackle off the bench no later than 2011. GRADE: C+

3/98. OG Mike Johnson, Alabama
This pick really appears like the real coup of the Falcons draft. Johnson has Alan Faneca-like ability as a left guard. Johnson is one of the top run blockers in the entire class, and should be able to compete right off the start for a starting job at left guard. His ability to clear running lanes is exactly what the Falcons need at left guard, since Sam Baker is not exactly a road-grader. Johnson’s ability there will help offset that lacking ability from Baker, and allow the Falcons to be more productive running to the left. Johnson’s major weakness is that he’s inconsistent in pass protection. But Faneca has been the same way throughout much of his later career, but like Faneca he can also potentially be a fill-in at tackle as well, although his best position is left guard. Even if Johnson doesn’t unseat Blalock this summer, it’s highly likely that he’ll slide in as the starter in 2011 with Blalock headed to free agency. GRADE: A+

4/117. OC Joe Hawley, UNLV
I don’t know enough about Hawley to really have a strong opinion on this pick. He’s a center that can also play guard, a position he played more during his career than at center. But if he’s a physical player, and almost every thing I read suggests he is, he could be a nice developmental center. Basically he could be another Brett Romberg, and has a chance to be the heir apparent to Todd McClure at center at some point in the next year or two. He is not Alex Mack, but you don’t have to be in order to be a starting NFL center. GRADE: B

5/135. CB Dominique Franks, Oklahoma
Franks entered this draft early because the NFL draft advisory board probably told him he would be a second round pick back in January. Well they were obviously wrong, because he fell. But he could be a potential steal. Franks isn’t great, but is a solid corner that should definitely be able to compete for a starting job in the near future. For now, he’ll probably push Grimes and Owens for the nickel job, but with his size he could leapfrog both as the heir apparent to Brian Williams as the starter in 2011 and beyond. At the very least, he should add depth if not becoming a serviceable starter down the road. GRADE: B+

5/165. WR Kerry Meier, Kansas
Meier is a player you like when you watch him play. He has good hands, nice size, and does a good job moving the chains in Kansas wide-open spread attack. He was very productive, but I’m not convinced he’ll be a factor on offense at the NFL level because of a lack of burst and speed. He’s targeted to fill the role that Brian Finneran holds on the team, and his first duties will be on special teams. He’s a guy that I think could bulk up and work as a wideout/H-back, a role that Finneran filled for much of last season before he got hurt. GRADE: C

6/171. S Shann Schillinger, Montana
Schillinger was drafted to fill depth and will push Matt Giordano as the reserve free safety and special teams. Again, don’t know much about him, but I’m at least hopeful that there’s a chance he can be developed somewhat and fill the role as a reserve safety that Erik Coleman is expected to fill this year. If he can be a stud special teams player and a capable reserve a few years down the road, then this is a solid pick. GRADE: B-

OVERALL GRADE: B

This draft will largely be judged down the road on how good of NFL players Weatherspoon and Johnson will be. Both have Pro Bowl potential, and if they develop into that then no one is really going to care about the rest of this class. If Peters also develops into a solid No. 3 defensive tackle, Hawley is a competent starter, and Franks, Meier, and Schillinger can contribute off the bench, then that only makes this draft class stronger.

OG Mike Johnson

With the Falcons second selection in the third round, and the final pick of the round, the Falcons chose Alabama guard Mike Johnson.

Johnson got a lot of experience as a fixture on Alabama’s line as a three-year starter on what was one of the top running offenses in college football the past few seasons, helping clear lanes for 2009 Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram. Back in February, Johnson was tabbed as a player that could be a really good fit for the Falcons.

Click here to read a scouting report on Johnson.

John Jerry

The Falcons need to add depth at guard, because relatively speaking the Falcons interior line is the weakest part of their front five. Left guard Justin Blalock has yet to live up to the high expectations he came in with as a second round pick in 2007. And right guard Harvey Dahl is a nasty guy, but his blocking ability isn’t exactly stellar.

It behooves the Falcons to at the very least add players that can push these guys.

Dahl missed the final four games of the season due to injury, and his replacement Quinn Ojinnaka certainly did not fill the void. The Falcons like Ojinnaka because he’s versatile, having played or at least gotten reps at every position in the front five. And while he gives good effort, he’s not athletic enough to play on the outside and not physical enough to play on the inside. He’s an asset to have in a pinch, but he easily becomes a liability and exposed with extended playing time.

The Falcons need to find a backup guard that can replace Ojinnaka, but also potentially push either starter in the near future. Dahl is a restricted free agent, but is expected back because he’s a Paul Boudreau favorite. Blalock is entering his contract year as well. So essentially both players should be expected to start this year, but I’m sure the Falcons will monitor both players closely this season in order to evaluate whether either deserve a long-term extension. So ideally, any player that the Falcons add needs to be able to start by his second year.

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