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Early morning at the Falcons’ Flowery Branch facility

Signage at the front gates

Flags greet fans at the entrance to camp

A beautiful day for football

Fans pour through the gates

A camp sign stands in front of the flag pole

Fans line the field early to get as close as they can to their team

WR Julio Jones takes the field

WR Harry Douglas comes out of a route

Sean Weatherspoon smiles as he jogs it off to the next drill

A moment before impact

Two fans show off their Falcons pride

Tony Gonzalez is always getting in extra work

The punt block drill is always a favorite for great photos

Spoon looks on from the sideline

WR Drew Davis attacks the sled

WR Roddy White makes a one-handed snag

With his black visor, Roddy casts an imposing figure against a blue sky

You don’t want none of LB Mike Peterson

A familiar view for anyone who traveled to the top of the hill next to the fields

Julio looks a pass into his hands

Harry warms up with his teammates

Freddie Falcon tries his hand — errr… wing — at running AtlantaFalcons.com

Storm clouds gather before practice

Rain dots a helmet as the Falcons practice through the weather

Friday Night Lights provided a beautiful sky as the Falcons practiced in front of thousands

That affected him on plenty of different levels — from not knowing where the weight room was to struggling to understand how to practice as a professional football player.

With a real offseason under his belt, Jones has been able to find a groove in his preparations for his second season and head coach Mike Smith remarked at the change Sunday.

“I think Julio’s a better player today than he was last year when we were breaking camp,” Smith said. “There’s no doubt about that, just from the maturation process of understanding what it means and what it takes to be an NFL player.”

Perhaps that was the biggest thing Jones needed to adjust to — the off-field and preparation elements of being a pro.

During his rookie year, Jones didn’t know the difference between full speed and practice speed. He didn’t know that he shouldn’t be on the field taking every single snap. Learning those things came during the offseason, and Smith is pleased with the change in mindset and what really is Jones taking his foot off the gas a bit.

“You’ve got to make sure you pace yourself for the entire season. Julio’s a guy that wants to go full speed all the time,” Smith said. “There’s a difference between game speed and practice speed. There has to be, and I think he has a much better understanding of that. He was a guy that wanted to take every snap in practice that he could last year, and I think he has a better understanding this year in terms of how we do our rotations and how we have a set number of plays that we want certain to get.”

On Saturday, head coach Mike Smith echoed that same point after Jerry performed well starting at defensive tackle during the first two preseason games for the Falcons.

“I think Peria has done a nice job for us in the two preseason games and through the entire season,” Smith said. “He came back in really good shape, did a real nice job in the offseason program, came back in really good shape and I think you really see his suddenness and play-making ability in the two preseason games.

“I think he’s in the shape that he’s been in. He’s really worked extremely hard.”

The veteran backup quarterback may have a lot of weight on his shoulders, but the Alabama product isn’t stressing out. He’s rolling with the punches and making the most of every opportunity he gets.

The preseason is his proving ground as he continues through training camp knowing that he’s out of practice squad eligibility with rookie Dominique Davis is nipping at his heels. Through it all, Wilson is keeping with the status quo.

“If I started (changing anything), I think I’d try to press or try to do too much and go out and say, ‘I’ve got make this many passes,’ ” Wilson said Tuesday. “You can’t do that. You’ve got to do what the defense gives you. You’ve got to go through your reads and prepare like I’ve been preparing since I was a starter at Alabama.”

Preparing is hard enough for regular season games, but a little known fact about the preseason is that teams don’t game-plan for one another during the exhibition season. For a position that thrives on research and knowledge about the opponent to be successful, it creates even more pressure at the position.

Against a very tough Ravens defense, Wilson went 8-of-13 for 69 yards with no interceptions or touchdowns. Against a defensive scheme with depth to back it up like Baltimore’s, the inability to game-plan makes things very difficult.

“They’ve got so many looks on defense and so many different things they do,” Wilson said. “We try to take in the most concise game plan as we possibly could and keep it simple with the rules and let the things we go over stand up against all the looks, and it did. It worked out well, but they’re a complicated defense.”

Wilson said that the look from Baltimore was great for him to see where he was at and what he needs to work on from here on out. One thing that won’t change, despite the pressure, is his ability to remain cool.

“Like I’ve learned from Matt (Ryan), Red (Chris Redman) and guys I’ve worked with along the way,” Wilson said, “to say that everything’s on the line — which it is — I try not to go into it like that.”

The veteran backup quarterback may have a lot of weight on his shoulders, but the Alabama product isn’t stressing out. He’s rolling with the punches and making the most of every opportunity he gets.

The preseason is his proving ground as he continues through training camp knowing that he’s out of practice squad eligibility with rookie Dominique Davis is nipping at his heels. Through it all, Wilson is keeping with the status quo.

“If I started (changing anything), I think I’d try to press or try to do too much and go out and say, ‘I’ve got make this many passes,’ ” Wilson said Tuesday. “You can’t do that. You’ve got to do what the defense gives you. You’ve got to go through your reads and prepare like I’ve been preparing since I was a starter at Alabama.”

Preparing is hard enough for regular season games, but a little known fact about the preseason is that teams don’t game-plan for one another during the exhibition season. For a position that thrives on research and knowledge about the opponent to be successful, it creates even more pressure at the position.

Against a very tough Ravens defense, Wilson went 8-of-13 for 69 yards with no interceptions or touchdowns. Against a defensive scheme with depth to back it up like Baltimore’s, the inability to game-plan makes things very difficult.

“They’ve got so many looks on defense and so many different things they do,” Wilson said. “We try to take in the most concise game plan as we possibly could and keep it simple with the rules and let the things we go over stand up against all the looks, and it did. It worked out well, but they’re a complicated defense.”

Wilson said that the look from Baltimore was great for him to see where he was at and what he needs to work on from here on out. One thing that won’t change, despite the pressure, is his ability to remain cool.

“Like I’ve learned from Matt (Ryan), Red (Chris Redman) and guys I’ve worked with along the way,” Wilson said, “to say that everything’s on the line — which it is — I try not to go into it like that.”

With an injury to starting middle linebacker Akeem Dent that will keep him from Thursday’s game against Cincinnati, fortunately, James won’t have to worry about picking up the slack since the two play different positions, but if he was asked to play more, he would in a heartbeat.

It’s pretty much impossible, however, for James to play any more than he did last Thursday against Baltimore — a game during which he logged 62 snaps. That’s the most he’s seen the field since his days of starting for Arizona State.

“I was pretty tired after that,” James said Tuesday. “I’ve gotta get it right. Gotta hydrate up this week.”

Because it’s the preseason, it’s his time to shine and prove that he belongs in one of the 53 final spots on the roster — and he’s off to a great start.

In relief against the Ravens, James led the team in unassisted tackles with 5.0 and also recorded a sack. General manager Thomas Dimitroff, talking to CBS Atlanta during an interview aired while the game was going on Thursday, had high remarks for the veteran linebacker and thinks he could settle into a more permanent spot on the roster.

“Robert’s worked really, really hard in the offseason,” Dimitroff told CBS Atlanta. “He has an element of hustle and urgent athleticism. He has playmaking ability and hopefully he really comes into his own in this scheme.”

James recognizes that he has a long way to go before he can feel settled, but he’s thankful for the playing time he’s getting and the opportunity to make the most of all the snaps he can get — even if he gets another 62.

“I felt a little rusty. Like I said, it’s been a while since I played that many snaps,” James said. “I played a lot of special teams and defense, as well, but I think this game (against Cincinnati) will be a better game. I’m hoping for the best.”

After practice Tuesday, White glowed about fellow WR Julio Jones. Asked if he thinks fans should be excited about Jones’ prospects this year, White made no hesitation.

“Absolutely. They should get excited,” White said of his teammate. “He’s going to be important to us. We’re going to need him throughout the whole season, throughout all 16 games. He’s got to continue to be who he is: be big, explosive and make plays down the field.”

Wide receiver Harry Douglas, who sat out of last week’s game due to an injury from the combined practice with the Tennessee Titans, will play against the Bengals, Smith said.

Not so fast.

Head coach Mike Smith said after practice Sunday that all positions are still very much open for competition and that nothing has been decided on, particularly when referring to the right guard position and Garrett Reynolds’ place as the current penciled-in starter.

“When we’re talking about starting guys, we’re talking about starting guys today, of course,” Smith said. “There’s three more opportunities for us to evaluate all of the guys that are competing, and I believe there’s 12 guys that legitimately have a shot for the nine spots on our offensive line. We’ve got to look at different combinations, gameday combinations, 46-man-roster discussions, as well as the 53-man roster.”

So sit tight on the offensive line as it looks like things are still very much up for grabs.

With two weeks and one preseason game already in the books, Polite — who has seen time with Dallas, Chicago, Miami and New England — is in a hurry to get the Falcons’ playbook down cold so he can compete with Mike Cox for the starting fullback position.

Polite, who played in just one game last season for the Patriots after being picked up late in the year, has been keeping in shape physically, so he feels like he’s good in that department. But learning the playbook on short notice has been a task thus far.

“You cut back on the hours of sleep you get a night,” Polite said with a smile after Sunday’s practice. “You’re just trying to rewrite the notes and digest as much as you can get, just force feed yourself. Luckily, I’ve been around enough offenses that some things make sense, but at the same time, some of the terminology carries over and you might get mixed up, so you’ve got to really, really drill it. Repetition: That’s how I learn best.”

Falcons C/G Peter Konz vs. Ravens DT Haloti Ngata
With so many eyes on the Falcons offensive line during the preseason, especially the interior positions, tonight’s matchup against Pro Bowl defensive tackle Haloti Ngata could go a long way toward setting the performance benchmark at center and right guard, particularly with rookie Peter Konz hoping to be in the mix. Konz comes from a pro-style offense at Wisconsin, but Ngata provides a huge 6-foot-4, 330-pound test for the first-year lineman.

Falcons RB Michael Turner vs. Ravens LB Ray Lewis
Although he’s getting long in the tooth, Baltimore linebacker Ray Lewis is still considered one of the best in the game. Known for incredibly physical play and an ability to get downhill quickly, Lewis will certainly present a challenge for running back Michael Turner. But when it comes to these two, think of the unstoppable force vs. the immovable object. There’s just no telling who can come out on top should the two collide in their likely limited action in tonight’s game.

Falcons WRs vs. Ravens DBs
The matchup for Falcons wide receivers will be an important one throughout the preseason as head coach Mike Smith will have the unenviable task of choosing a fifth wide receiver. Kevin Cone and Drew Davis both spent time with the Falcons last year, but there are some strong candidates behind them who could sneak into that final WR spot, and the preseason is the biggest proving ground for players trying to make the roster.

Falcons DL vs. Ravens OL
With DT Corey Peters out for the foreseeable future with an injury and a crowded group at defensive end, the defensive line is one to keep an eye on during the preseason. Rookie DTs like Travian Robertson and Micanor Regis could get some extra reps, and the battle between rookie DE Jonathan Massaquoi and veteran DEs Cliff Matthews and Lawrence Sidbury will start to heat up in the first game of the preseason.

Being an undrafted free agent is difficult enough when it comes to making an NFL squad, but cracking a squad as an unknown at the quarterback position can be even tougher. Davis, who by all indication has had a very nice camp so far, is ready to show he can defeat the odds when he steps on the field for his first NFL game experience Thursday night against the Baltimore Ravens.

“I’d have a chip on my shoulder even if I was the first draft pick,” Davis said. “I carry a chip on my shoulder just to prove to myself that I belong here.”

He’ll certainly have the opportunity to show that. Head coach Mike Smith said Tuesday that he expects most of the starters to play through the first quarter and possibly into the second, which gives Davis plenty of time — likely in the second half — to run offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter’s offense on the big NFL stage.

Competing for a backup spot behind starter Matt Ryan, Davis can see the path in front of him and is relying on everything he’s done to this point to help carry him.

“I just try to study hard and focus on what I’ve got to do and do my job,” Davis said. “I’ll let the rest happen from there.”

As camp battles continue to rage on, the new chart may give some insight into who is separating themselves from the pack.

View the entire unofficial depth chart by clicking here.

Of note:

• At left tackle, Sam Baker is listed as the starter and Garrett Reynolds is the first string right guard.
• Mike Cox has a hold on the top spot at fullback with rookie Bradie Ewing backing him up.
• With an injury to defensive tackle Corey Peters, Peria Jerry has taken the spot opposite Jonathan Babineaux.
• At the returner positions, Jacquizz Rodgers is listed at the kick return spot and Harry Douglas at punt return.

Probably because there isn’t much of it.

Save for two games during his freshman year at Florida State, the fourth-year Falcon hasn’t exactly been setting the world on fire with his return game. But that could all change if Smith has the type of camp and preseason he’s hoping for.

Smith, who came out of Florida State with blazing 4.3 40-yard speed, has integrated himself into the return game since coming on with the Falcons in 2009. While Smith admits that experience isn’t exactly his strong suit at the return positions, he’s got speed, quickness, vision and a load of other skills that help contribute to his viability as a return candidate.

“I’m going to take it and run with it, I’ll tell you that,” Smith said Monday. “Anything I put my head to, I really can accomplish, so I look forward to it.”

Aside from vying for the returner positions, Smith was an extremely valuable special teamer for the Falcons in 2011. Overshadowed by Eric Weems and Akeem Dent, Smith was just as much a vital part of the Big Four — that is, punt, punt return, kick and kick return — as anyone else on the team.

And he played all with relative ease and confidence, something he’s thinking will help him in his quest to retain the No. 4 running back spot on the 53-man roster.

“Experience has been a big key for me,” Smith said. “My first year and in 2010, I was pretty good, but last year I came on and got along pretty good and got a little more experience under my belt and got more comfortable. I felt I excelled at it.”

Likely to the point where Smith has earned a shot to show what he can do at returner. Head coach Mike Smith has his hands full with that decision down the road and stressed that there would be a lot of different players getting an opportunity to show themselves in the return game, but did say Smith would be in the mix.

“Antone is an interesting dynamic for us on special teams, because he’s such a good cover guy, he’s such a good blocker, but he’s also got the speed to be a returner,” Mike Smith said Monday. “The thing we’ll have to do is, through training camp, we’re going to have to find out who can do the returning — the first, the second and the third guy. You’ve got to have at least three guys that you feel comfortable doing it. We’ve got some guys that are starters (elsewhere) that we’ve got to make decisions on … and if we want to have starters doing that.”

Which could make Antone Smith a good candidate for the sought-after position.

A fifth-round selection in what was a highly-publicized 2008 NFL Draft for the Falcons, James has spent much of his time in Atlanta toiling on the practice squad or backing up on the 53-man roster. With his fifth year now upon him and practice squad eligibility gone, James is in a make-or-break period of his career this camp, needing to bust through to that 53-man roster.

While the circumstances may not be desired, 2012 Russell Athletic Atlanta Falcons Training Camp may be James’ best chance to get over that hump after veteran linebacker Lofa Tatupu was lost for the season with a pectoral injury and subsequently released by the Falcons.

“Unfortunately, with Lofa getting hurt, I didn’t want that, but I’m just trying to come out here and play hard each play and just show the coaching staff that I’m dependable in the way that they need me and that I’ll be ready,” James said after camp Monday.

James has certainly had plenty of opportunities so far in camp. Mixing it up with first-teamers Sean Weatherspoon and Stephen Nicholas at times during practice, James is getting a taste of what it could be like to start.

While the consensus is that Akeem Dent will step into that starting middle linebacker role, James has been getting the reps to show that he could be a mainstay on the Falcons’ 53-man roster after coming out of college with so much promise.

“Robert has gotten an opportunity through OTAs and camp to this point, and I thought he was very impressive in OTAs,” head coach Mike Smith said Monday. “He’s a guy that got a lot of snaps in the nickel, and the reason that happened was that Stephen Nicholas didn’t participate (due to injury), so (James) has gotten an opportunity to show what he can do. The important thing for Robert — and Spencer Adkins — is what they can do on special teams. When you’re a backup linebacker, you’ve got to show you can be in the Big Four (punt, punt return, kick and kick return) on special teams.”

It may lead some to believe that those abilities have created front-runners for the race at the No. 5 wide receiver position, but the truth is, the person who earns that position will be much more adept at special teams than running routes and catching passes.

“In our scheme and who we have at tight end, we won’t be in too many four wide sets,” head coach Mike Smith said during the weekend. “The fifth receiver would be put in the ball game because of injuries. The majority of his snaps will be played on special teams. It will be heavily weighted towards his production on special teams.”

Knowing this, Cone, Rodgers and other contenders — Drew Davis, Tim Toone, Kenny Stafford, Marcus Jackson and Michael Calvin — are focused on really shining during the usual 20-minute period before the start of practice devoted to special teams.

That’s why Cone goes all out during punt block drills, why Rodgers takes every punt return like it’s the real thing, why Toone — just added days ago and likely behind the rest of his teammates at the position — likely feels fortunate to be in the mix at the punt return spot.

“I think special teams is very important because every guy that comes into the National Football League, they have to play special teams,” Rodgers said. “I’m just doing whatever they need me to do, and if that’s going down there and covering kicks, blocking kicks, returning balls, then that’s what I have to do to make the team.”

If there is a front-runner at this stage of the game, however, Cone could probably be considered it, simply based on his past. Cone was signed as an undrafted free agent after 2011 Russell Athletic Atlanta Falcons Training Camp started and earned a spot on the practice squad before eventually being signed to the active roster late in the season and participating on special teams — particularly the kickoff coverage team.

With that experience, it could translate to a better understanding of his responsibilities and what he needs to do to earn that No. 5 position outright.

“I think it carries over a lot. I learned a lot about myself and learned what I need to do to put myself at the next level as far as depth chart and my abilities on the field on special teams,” Cone said. “I think I learned a lot and it’s going to correlate a lot to the field this year.”

So his first day wearing red and black was a little bit odd for the 11-year veteran.

“You just have to go through the growing times,” Hope said after the first day of 2012 Russell Athletic Training Camp in Flowery Branch. “It’s like the first day of school. I told my wife, I’m too old to feel like it’s the first day of school again, but it’s fun, it’s challenging and it’s an experience.”

The coaching staff has left things wide open for Hope, he said, as they just want him to learn the defense and get it down cold before worrying about starting positions. In the meantime, Hope is just fine taking the younger safeties under his wing and imparting as much knowledge to them as he can, even though he’s in direct competition with them.

A Super Bowl champion with Pittsburgh in 2005, Hope has seen it all in the league and he knows he’s got a lot he can share with younger talent. As a second year player with the Steelers, he was asked to take players like Ike Taylor and Troy Polamalu under his guidance, so leading is nothing new to him.

“I’m an open book. Any question you ask me, anything I can help you with, anything that I see that I can make you that much better in,” Hope will help with, he said. “It’s a learning process and it’s the competition that makes everyone better.”

Nicholas, in particular, had to watch from the sidelines throughout OTAs and minicamp as an injury he suffered late last season continued to heal. On Tuesday came word that the veteran linebacker had been cleared to participate in the start of camp, which made him even more eager to get checked in.

“I think it’s always the same feeling,” Nicholas said Wednesday afternoon after checking into camp. “I’m very excited, very, very ready to get going. I’m ready to see some of the guys that I haven’t seen in a while. It’s always an exciting feeling, every year.”

Players are required to check into the Flowery Branch facility today and all players will be staying at the apartments on the premises until camp breaks Aug. 19.

During the media’s availability at the check-in area, rookies Jonathan Massaquoi, Charles Mitchell, Bryce Harris, Peyton Thompson and Michael Calvin arrived, as well as veterans Peria Jerry, Joe Zelenka and Thomas DeCoud.

The first session of training camp open to the public is Thursday as practice gets started at 3:30 p.m. Gates will be open at 2:30 p.m. Admission to training camp is free. Click here for the complete training camp schedule.

For more information on training camp, visit our training camp home page.

Click here to see a photo gallery from players reporting to camp

Head coach Mike Smith confirmed Tuesday that linebacker Stephen Nicholas and rookie tackle Lamar Holmes have been cleared to participate in 2012 Russell Athletic Atlanta Falcons Training Camp when it begins Thursday.

Both Nicholas and Holmes were on the sidelines during OTAs and minicamps.

Smith also confirmed that injured defensive tackle Corey Peters has not yet been cleared to participate in camp.

On Tuesday came more bad news, as Smith announced Tatupu’s season is over.

“As you know, Lofa suffered a pectoral injury last week,” Smith said. “After further testing, it was determined that he would require a procedure to repair the injury and unfortunately he will miss the entire season.”

Tatupu, signed by the Falcons during the free agency period in March, was expected to come into 2012 Russell Athletic Atlanta Falcons Training Camp, beginning this week, and compete with second-year LB Akeem Dent for the starting middle linebacker spot. A three-time Pro Bowler who has a trip to the Super Bowl with the Seahawks under his belt, Tatupu was looking to put together a comeback after spending all of last year out of the game with an injury.

Jay Adams: You’ve got a couple of new faces and plenty of familiar faces in your position group. Where do you see things standing as you head into training camp?

Gerald Brown: The tailback position is pretty much what it was last year with Mike (Turner), Jason Snelling and Jacquizz (Rodgers), and then we’ve got some other guys that are competing — Dimitri (Nance), Antone (Smith), (Robbie) Frey — so the tailback position is pretty much intact. The fullback position, (Mike) Cox came in and from the Indy game on (last season) as our starting fullback. We drafted Bradie Ewing, who we feel good about, so I think we have good, healthy competition at the fullback position, and that’s what we want. We want guys competing and fighting to win jobs, and I think that’s where we are right now.

JA: The offensive system has yet to be fully revealed, but offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter has said enough that the screen game will be more of a part of the offense this year. How does that change what you do on a daily basis with the running backs?

GB: It’s just part of what we do; it’s just that we’ll do more of it. Some of the techniques and how we do things may be a little different, but we’ve had screens in the system. We just didn’t get to them as much. This year, I think there’s a commitment to them, so our backs just have got to be prepared to handle all the adjustments off of our screen game.

JA: You lose a veteran in Ovie Mughelli and gain, like you said, a rookie in Bradie Ewing. Just from their looks, it seems like they have two different styles. With his background at Wisconsin, Ewing seems like he can be a versatile threat in the passing game. What’s your assessment of what he’s going to be able to bring to that position?

GB: Bradie runs well. He catches the ball well out of the backfield, but a lot of the things that he had done at Wisconsin are things that we do here. It’s the same type of blocking scheme and that type of thing, so that’s beneficial to him, as well. I think you find out a lot about that position once you put the pads on, but right now where he is, I think he’s moving along well for us. He understands the offense. He’s doing things that we ask our fullback to do, so we’re excited about having him here with us.

JA: Michael Turner is 30 years old, but he’s in a unique situation in that, because of becoming a starting running back later in his career, he hasn’t taken the same number of hits as the average 30-year-old running back. What do you see as his ability to produce coming up in 2012? Can a 30-year-old running back with less mileage still produce at a high level?

GB: Oh, I think absolutely, Mike Turner can produce. What he’s done over the last four years is pretty amazing. Right now, where we are and where he is physically, he looks as good to me right now as he has ever looked from a physical standpoint. He’s running the ball well and he’s doing things well in practice, but we’ve talked about the load that he’s carried over the last four years. We know we have to monitor that because we want him to be strong at the end of the year. At the same time, we’re trying to win ballgames, but we feel good about Jason Snelling and Jacquizz Rodgers, and when Michael’s not in there, it’s OK. Give them the ball, whether we’re running or passing, and let’s just run the offense. I think we’ll be in good shape there.

JA: You mentioned Quizz, and he’s a guy that fans are really excited about. Knowing him a year now, what differences have you noticed in him this year?

GB: I think the thing that surprised the staff most last year was not having an offseason program and the Jacquizz coming in and contributing as much as he did throughout the season. Mike had most of the workload, but Jacquizz can run our two-minute, he can run our no-huddle attack, he can run our offense and it’s just a compliment to him that he can come in and learn it. He’s a smart kid, he’s a physical kid and he certainly has the ability to make plays, so this offseason is beneficial for him because he missed it last year, as it is for everybody, but he stepped up last year and was a big-time contributor for us.

Jay Adams: Free agency was kind to you in that you got John Abraham and Kroy Biermann back. What does it mean to have those two guys back in the fold for you?

Ray Hamilton: Quite a bit. Those are our two best defensive end athletes. John Abraham is obviously one of the best pass rushers in the history of the game, and Biermann is one of our up-and-coming guys. Both athletic guys, both help our team in a lot of ways, so we’re very happy to have them back.

JA: You also add a new guy in Jonathan Massaquoi in the 2012 NFL Draft. In the early stages, what do you think of him?

RH: He’s a very quick and explosive guy. He shows the pass-rush ability that we thought he had when we saw him at Troy, but he’s picking up things. Rookies heads swim a little bit because there’s so much going on, but he’s showed a good ability to pick up what we’re putting in. He’s smart enough, but very quick, very athletic, very explosive.

JA: The last couple of years, you’ve had some very good defensive tackles to work with. The core group of guys you have in the middle, what’s your assessment of where they are and what they bring to the table?

RH: Of course, the rookies, we haven’t seen them in pads yet. That’s the big thing for them. Our guys coming back, (Jonathan) Babineaux was a little bit hurt last year. He’s going to be fine this year. Corey (Peters) has been just really, really good. He’s just a really solid player for us. I thought last year, Vance Walker got better and Peria Jerry got better. We’ve got four guys in our core that I think are on the uprise. Now, the new guys we have — (Travian) Robertson and (Micanor) Regis, from Miami — those guys are bigger guys than what we’ve had around, but we’ve only seen them without pads so far, so hopefully, that size and girth and strength — they look big, they look strong, they can move — so hopefully, that will help us in there. It’s all about competition. We compete every day, every play, and that’s what we have those guys in here for.

JA: Fans have really kept an eye on Lawrence Sidbury and Cliff Matthews, two young guys with a lot of potential. What do you see as the next steps for them in their careers?

RH: Obviously, they have to get better. Sidbury has to come in and show that he’s improved from last year. Matthews didn’t play at all last year, but he’s a big, strong, physical, tough guy that we hope will make some big strides and be competitive again this year for us.

That’s especially true after the addition of veteran safety Chris Hope over the weekend, who will come in and likely provide some much needed depth at the safety position.

Much like when the Falcons added vet James Sanders — a Super Bowl champ himself with the Patriots early in his career — last year during the preseason, Hope will bring with him a wealth of experience from which the Falcons’ relatively young safeties will draw from.

A former Pro Bowler with Tennessee and Super Bowl winner with Pittsburgh in 2005, Hope is in a position to not only boost what the Falcons already have at safety but provide an experienced shoulder to lean on for William Moore and Thomas DeCoud, as well as rookie safety Charles Mitchell, who was drafted in April.

With 20 interceptions in his career, Hope is certainly no stranger to asserting himself at that position, which begs the question: Can he vie for a starting spot with all things being equal in training camp?

The current strong safety position is filled by Moore, who has had a stranglehold on the job since earning it in 2010 over then-starter Erik Coleman. Last year, Sanders came in and earned a starting nod in place of DeCoud early in the season, but DeCoud earned the spot back before the two platooned at the position.

While Hope’s role with the Falcons has yet to truly be determined, it’s important to remember the mantra that is repeated day-in and day-out during training camp: Competition breeds success.

And while Hope is in the second half of his career, a safety with his credentials certainly seems like he’d bring quite a bit of competition with him to camp — which is great for all the Falcons’ safeties.

What say you?

The Falcons’ wide receiving unit is one that gets its fair share of the spotlight, with the combination of Roddy White and Julio Jones being one of the best in the NFL. But every spot on the Falcons’ 53-man roster is crucial, and the open void left by Weems’ departure is one Robiskie is focused on filling.

With a roster filled with candidates, Robiskie certainly has his pick. Two in particular — Kevin Cone and Drew Davis — would seem to be the likely favorites after spending a year on the practice squad in 2011, but college free agents James Rodgers, Michael Calvin, Marcus Jackson and Kenny Stafford can’t be overlooked.

“We’ve got to find someone who can step up and be Eric Weems,” Robiskie said. “Somebody here was Eric Weems before Eric Weems, so we’ve got to have somebody that wants to step up with the group I have. Somebody’s got to step up and say, ‘Hey, Coach. Eric Weems left. I know what he did, I know the contribution he made and what a good player he was. Coach, I want that job.’

“Whichever one of my guys is going to do that through… training camp and preseason games, he’ll be the guy that’ll have that spot.”

Robiskie doesn’t expect this decision to be made lightly. In fact, he said he expects the battle for that final wide receiver spot going all the way through 2012 Russell Athletic Training Camp and the entire preseason.

Cone, who was a late addition to the Falcons’ training camp roster in 2011, took the opportunity presented to him last year and ran with it. A wide receiver from an option-happy Georgia Tech offense, Cone caught just five passes in his college career before earning a spot on the Falcons’ practice squad before eventually making his way to the 53-man roster for the final game of the regular season and the wild-card matchup against the Giants.

Davis was another college free agent last season who turned in an impressive training camp to earn a practice squad spot. The Oregon product honorable mention All-Pac-10 honors and was a co-recipient of the Todd Doxey Award, given to the Oregon player who exemplifies the traits of dedication associated with being an outstanding teammate as a senior. He caught 42 passes for 470 yards and three touchdowns in 2010 and helped lead the Ducks to the BCS National Championship Game. In four seasons in with the Ducks, Davis appeared in 46 games and caught 73 passes for 823 yards with six touchdowns.

With Robiskie expecting the preseason to be the proving ground for his younger wide receivers, Davis said he’s putting a lot of emphasis on making the most of those four exhibition games to impress Robiskie — as well as special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong.

“I do, because most people don’t get a chance to play in the season, so the preseason is a chance to prove yourself not only on offense, but on special teams, too. That’s where you’re getting evaluated a lot, too. Going in there, making sure you’re popping up on film — whether it’s offense, special teams or just making sure you’re in the film when the game ends is most important.”

Built most like Weems and a darkhorse candidate for kick and punt return duties, Rodgers — brother of Falcons running back Jacquizz Rodgers — finished his career as one of the greatest receivers and all-purpose players in Oregon State history. He established a school record with 222 career receptions, including an OSU record 91 catches in 2009. He also set the Oregon State career record with 6,377 all-purpose yards and is the first player in OSU history with 1,000 yards rushing and 2,000 yards receiving.

Calvin’s college career at Cal was derailed by a knee injury, which dropped him on the depth chart, but he’s capable of putting up solid numbers with a 6-2, 210-pound frame.

Jackson, a product of Lamar University in the Southland Conference, is the first player out of its football program to reach the NFL since the school reinstituted the sport two years ago. He caught 65 passes for 1,159 yards and 14 touchdowns during his two seasons at Lamar.

Stafford, out of Toledo, was a tryout invite during the Falcons’ rookie minicamp in May. He caught 21 passes for 272 yards and one touchdown in 2011 at Toledo.

Naturally, the position isn’t exactly written about all the time. A good punter is like a good offensive lineman: You only hear about him if he’s suddenly not so good, and if he’s good, he might as well be invisible.

When a team spends a draft pick on a punter, however, that pressure has got to increase exponentially.

Matt Bosher — drafted by the Falcons in the sixth round in 2011 out of Miami — posted some rough early results in 2011, with punting averages ranging in the low-to-mid 30s, and it didn’t take long for fans to call for Bosher to get the boot.

With the lockout last year canceling OTAs and minicamp, Bosher — like most rookies — was affected immensely, but special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong thinks it was the No. 1 reason why the rookie punter was slow out of the gate.

“He would have liked to avoid a slow start last year,” Armstrong told AtlantaFalcons.com, “but he suffered the most from the lack of OTAs and minicamp because we knew there were some things that we needed to address with him, but by the rules, we couldn’t get to him, we couldn’t address his issues, so we had to do it during the season.”

Once Armstrong got Bosher caught up, the effects started to show on the field as Bosher finished the season extremely strong. In the last six games of the regular season, Bosher averaged more than 50 yards per punt in every game except one, when he averaged 47.8.

Bosher finished his rookie season with a 42.7 yards-per-punt average, which put him at No. 30 in the league in the category, but his first portion of the season provided an unbalanced look at Bosher’s potential.

In 2012, Armstrong is looking to avoid the low numbers as he expects Bosher to continue to grow into a reliable leg for the Falcons.

“You’d like to see him start off with the same consistency that he finished the season with,” Armstrong said of Bosher’s progression heading into 2012. “I think he will grow. He’s become more knowledgable about his profession. He’s done a nice job here in the offseason with his work, so I think he’s preparing himself, because he wants to avoid a slow start.”