Let The Fun Begin: Top Three Postion Battles for the Atlanta Falcons

One of the best things about NFL training camp is watching the position battles.

For the Atlanta Falcons, there are plenty of battles that fans and journalists will play close attention to. Offensively, the Falcons are set at every position so there won’t be too much competition. On the other side of the ball is a different story. Here are a couple of position battles that should be interesting.

CORNERBACK

Last season, Bent Grimes and Chris Houston were the two starting cornerbacks and played solid all year long. But Chevis Jackson showed signs that he could be a starter instead of a third or fourth corner and could win a spot during training camp.

One of the things that hurt this unit is the loss of Dominique Foxworth due to him signing with the Baltimore Ravens. However, Von Hutchins comes back from a season-ending injury last year and could also win a starting spot.

The Falcons also drafted Chris Owens and William Middleton, but they will contribute on special teams and won’t be expected to see a lot a snaps this season. Also, we can’t forget about David Irons who was a special teams stud in 2007 and was out with an injury in 2008.

LINEBACKERS

The middle linebacker position is set with Curtis Lofton, but both outside linebacker spots are up for grabs due to Keith Brooking and Michael Boley leaving this year. Mike Peterson is expected to win one spot and he is a guy that can play outside as well as inside if needed.

During minicamp, Stephen Nicholas was working at the weak side spot and he is a guy that has gotten better and better each year. But don’t rule out Coy Wire making some noise during training camp because he played well in situational downs and was named the special teams captain at the end of the season.

DEFENSIVE END

It’s safe to say that Jamaal Anderson has struggled the past two seasons. He will be the starter going into training camp, but Chauncey Davis had one of his best seasons in 2008 with 38 tackles and four sacks and will do his best to emerge as a starter.

John Abraham is one of the premier pass rushers in the league, so the right defensive end spot is secure.

So the left end could be up for grabs if Davis impresses the coaches. Koy Biermann had a great rookie season with four sacks, and rookie Spencer Adkins looks to contribute right away. He will be able to do that if he is able to adjust to the speed of the game.

There are also minor battles going on the offensive side such as who will win the  third string quarterback spot and who will be the fifth wide receiver. But cornerback, outside linebacker and defensive end are the three that will be the most compelling for fans when they go out to Flowery Branch in August.

Who will emerge when the smoke clears in early September? It’s too early to tell, but it should be an interesting camp for the boys in the red and black.