Offensive Line
Offensive line coach Alex Gibbs, who helped build excellent run-blocking lines in Denver, was lured out of retirement and is being asked to turn around a unit that struggled in ’03, without the benefit of any significant upgrades in personnel. Eric Beverly was brought in to compete for the starting job at left guard, but he is not a significant upgrade and may not beat out Martin Bibla.
Todd McClure is solid at center, but he is undersized and struggles against bigger nose tackles. Kynan Forney is a good, young player with potential starting at left guard and backup Robert Garza’s ability to play center or guard gives the interior line some depth and flexibility.
At right tackle, Todd Weiner will be counted on to protect the left-handed Vick’s blind side, so he must continue to improve. Kevin Shaffer will replace veteran Bob Whitfield at left tackle, and he should do an adequate job, but after him there’s not much depth at the tackle position. The Falcons can’t afford for either starter to go down for a significant length of time.
Defensive Line
With Mora as head coach, Atlanta will revert back to a 4-3 base formation using a low-risk one-gap system designed to disrupt opponents’ backfields. Former Oakland Raiders defensive tackle Rod Coleman was signed to a big contract during the off-season, but he was not a full-time player in Oakland, so he will likely see a lot of rotation at the under tackle position with veteran Ellis Johnson, assuming Johnson doesn‘t make good on his threats to retire should the Falcons not bow to his contract demands.
Ed Jasper will start at nose tackle, and he is still a solid run stuffer, but he has seen better days. He is backed up, however, by a pair of young guys who have the potential to eventually step into the starting role in second-year player Demetrin Veal and rookie fifth-rounder Chad Lavalais.
Defensive end Patrick Kerney has made no secret about the fact that he is thrilled about the team’s move back to a 4-3 defense. After facing constant double-teams in the 3-4 the last couple seasons, he should benefit by the more frequent single coverage. He is a good edge rusher, but a little small to hold up in the old system. With some of the attention drawn away, his numbers should climb considerably this season.
At RDE, Brady Smith is solid but unspectacular. Overall depth at the position is a bit of a concern as well, with injury-prone backups Travis Hall and Will Overstreet, who, for the third time in three years, has suffered yet another shoulder injury.
Linebackers
The Falcons are shaking up their linebacking corps by moving Keith Brooking from the inside to the weak side to take advantage of his speed and athleticism. The team plans to utilize him on the blitz more often and they feel starting him on the weak side would allow him to create more big plays. Chris Draft is penciled in as the starter in the middle, but his inability to wrap up on tackles could allow veteran Jamie Duncan to steal the job away.
Matt Stewart is the starter on the strong side, and he is tough against the run, but he lacks speed and struggles in coverage. Depth on the outside is a major concern as well, with Artie Ulmer and Eric Johnson being the only guys with experience on the bench. Fourth-round draft selection Demorrio Williams has the potential to eventually start on the strong side, but don’t expect anything more than spot service from the rookie this season.
Secondary
The Falcons were the worst team in the league versus the pass last season, so the quick development of rookie DeAngelo Hall is a key for the entire defense. He's a tremendous athlete with blazing speed, and he has pretty good technique, but he could use some polish. If everything goes according to plan, Hall will be the starter on the right side, but if he is not ready to go, the unspectacular Tod McBride will probably get the starting assignment.
Jason Webster was a great addition, coming over from the 49ers with his former defensive coordinator, and he will likely start on the left side with veteran Aaron Beasley covering the slot on three-receiver sets and Kevin Mathis coming in as the dime back.
Atlanta lacks talent and is very thin at safety. They have a pair of adequate starters in SS Bryan Scott and FS Cory Hall, but neither is spectacular. And there is very little experience behind them in rookie Etric Pruitt, third-year man Kevin McCadam, and sophomore Siddeeq Shabazz.
