Falcons: Five things to know
Camp tour: Falcons
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Observations about the Atlanta Falcons:
1. This is a team that better hope like heck its young receivers
step up. Michael Jenkins and Roddy White, first-round
picks in 2004 and '05, will be the starters. Both have ability, but
neither has done enough to make one think of a go-to guy. The recent
acquisition of Ashley Lelie in a trade will help. He has deep
speed and should fit in as the third receiver.
2. Now comes the hard part: getting Michael Vick to throw
the football to those receivers. He still seems more apt to look to
security blanket Alge Crumpler, his Pro Bowl tight end. That's
easy to understand since Crumpler is such a quality player, but for this
team to get to the next level, Vick has to throw to the receivers.
3. Look for rookie Jerious Norwood to get a lot of time
behind Warrick Dunn. Norwood has the look of a future star. He's
big, strong and fast. He's part of the reason the Falcons were willing
to trade T.J. Duckett. When Norwood ripped off a 62-yard
touchdown run against the Titans on Saturday night, he showed
outstanding feet, power and speed. He's the back of the future.
4. The Falcons insist they've upgraded their safety spot with Lawyer
Milloy and Chris Crocker. And they have, since the best
safety on their team last year was defensive backs coach Brett Maxie. But Milloy is getting up in age, while Crocker is only slightly above
average. They better hope Milloy can fight off the age issue for another
year at least.
5. With John Abraham and Patrick Kerney on the ends
and Rod Coleman at defensive tackle, the Falcons have quality
pass rushers on the defensive line. Coleman is the best pass-rushing
tackle in the league, while the other two are good edge rushers. Facing
this trio won't be easy on third downs for opposing offenses.
Why I like this team
That defensive front is impressive and Vick has the tools to take over games. Plus, you know they will run the ball.
Why I don't like this team
Vick doesn't throw it well enough -- yet. At some point, he will be forced to win games with his arm, rather than his legs. Can he do it? And if he is ready, are the receivers good enough?
