Inside Falcons camp
Steve Wyche - Staff
Sunday, July 24, 2005
QUARTERBACK IMPROVEMENT: Vick's vow: I will be better
With the success of the Falcons hinging so much on quarterback Michael Vick, keeping him healthy is the most important part of the preseason. Look for coach Jim Mora to be as guarded with Vick as he was last year, although Vick probably will play more than a few snaps in the exhibition opener against the Indianapolis Colts in Tokyo.
The Falcons had the NFL's top rushing offense last season, but they have to improve in the passing game to remain among the league's elite. Vick said incorporating the wide receivers more into the offense is vital, and it is up to him to make things happen. He has put more pressure on himself to produce.
"I can't even explain how big a difference it is this year from last year as far as understanding the game in this offense," Vick said. "[That includes] where I have to go with my reads, what guys are going to be in this spot or are supposed to be in that spot. I've spent a lot of time this offseason working, putting time in the [playbook]. When I step on the field, there's not much doubt where I'm going with the ball now. You'll never be perfect --- no one is --- but you can always make sure you try to be the best you can."
MOORE VS. LEHR: Competition at left guard
Although the competition at both wide receiver spots will grab most of the attention, arguably the most heated competition for playing time --- and even a roster spot --- could come at left guard.
Michael "Mookie" Moore, who won the starting job in training camp last season before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in Game 1, is healthy and ready to reclaim the spot he lost to the departed Roberto Garza. In his way is Matt Lehr, a free-agent signee and former starter with the Dallas Cowboys whose ability to play both guard spots and center could make him more desirable to keep.
The rest of the Falcons' offensive line returns intact.
PRESSURE ON PRICE: Receivers far from settled
Wide receiver Peerless Price will be under the microscope. The team thought about releasing him in a salary cap move early in the summer and has touted 2004 first-round pick Michael Jenkins and this year's first-rounder, Roddy White, as potential starters if they continue to improve.
It's unclear whether that's an attempt to prod Price to play up to his No. 1 receiver status or to set the stage for a potential change, but coaches want to give Vick the best options at wide receiver.
Dez White's starting job isn't secure, either, especially if Roddy White and Jenkins perform as well in pads as they did in the offseason.
Brian Finneran's reliability likely makes him a fixture in certain situations.
DEFENSIVE LINE UNCERTAIN: Smith's absence felt
Team officials hold out hope that right defensive end Brady Smith won't miss any of the regular season after neck surgery last week, but his absence in the preseason highlights the lack of depth at that position.
Local product Khaleed Vaughn, claimed off the New York Giants' practice squad last season, enters camp as the starter and will get significant time to prove himself. Junior Glymph, and possibly Chauncey Davis, will work at left and right ends.
There also is uncertainty at defensive tackle. Chad Lavalais is projected as Ed Jasper's replacement as the starter next to Rod Coleman, but Brandon Mitchell and rookie Jonathan Babineaux could push him for playing time.
SHUFFLING SAFETIES: Scott's switch will be slowed
Third-year safety Bryan Scott is coming off shoulder surgery and likely will miss most of the preseason. Scott needs repetitions to fully grasp the switch from strong to free safety; being sidelined is not going to help. Ronnie Heard will open in Scott's spot, but ideally he would be a key reserve who is a factor onn special teams.
Keion Carpenter is back at strong safety after missing last season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. The veteran has all the intangibles, guile and instincts the Falcons need in the secondary, but his durability is an issue. He might not be pushed too hard during training camp in an attempt to keep him healthy.
CAMPOUT
How three players recall their training camp experiences:
"You were always trying to break in a new pair of shoes and helmet and shoulder pads, and you would always end up getting blisters on your heels and things like that. There was the 95- to 100- degree weather. You always feared jock rash. Thank goodness we've got better detergents now.
"It was an overall pretty rough ordeal, being uncomfortable and so hot. Truly disliked two-a-days. The coaches, they're always fired up and they're going full speed, and they want you to do full speed at all times. The pace is tough. Training camp is really where you find out whether you want to keep doing this. The older I got, those training camps got more physically demanding. So were the meetings. It was also tough being away from my family for up to six weeks."
--- Former Falcons linebacker Tommy Nobis
"In my career, the worst thing was my rookie training camp in 1999. There was a heat wave with a heat index some days of 120 degrees. I was getting used like a mule, being a rookie. But making it through that hard work gave me confidence.
"They tried to punish me by making me sing, but once they saw I liked it, they made me stop. Then they gave me a haircut, which was kind of a patchy Mohawk, but I thought it was pretty cool, so I wore it with pride."
--- Falcons defensive end Patrick Kerney
"The thing I hate was the physical pounding every day. We're kind of fortunate that our coach rests us when he thinks we need to rest. In college, we were always in pads. Right now, we're ready to put the pads on. It was a long offseason. It's going to be strenuous and stressful on our bodies, but we're ready to bring it."
--- Falcons cornerback DeAngelo Hall
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