Atlanta Falcons: 5 Preseason Position Battles to Watch

Coming off their second best season in franchise history, the Atlanta Falcons look continue their success in 2011.  A lot of debate is currently ongoing about who will start where when the season finally starts.  Many of the positions are basically set in stone, but there are still several players fighting to grab their spot on the team.  

Peria Jerry vs. Corey Peters

Who will play next to Jonathan Babineaux on the Falcons defensive line will be a fun match-up to watch.  As of right now, Corey Peters, the second-year tackle out of Kentucky, is battling Peria Jerry, the Falcons' first pick from 2009.  

Corey Peters saw a good amount of action in 2010, and was a big help at stopping the run.  The decision to draft Peters in the third round of the 2010 draft was widely criticized at first, but doubters started coming around after he showed great ability to stop the ball on the ground.      

Peria Jerry has yet to live up to expectations.  He suffered a knee injury in 2009 that caused him to sit for the rest of the season.  Last year he was thrown in occasionally and played part of all 16 games, but there were still reports at times that he wasn't up to full strength.  

Everything seemed to be different at the beginning on training camp this season.  People were raving left and right about the improvements they were seeing in Jerry.  It seemed like the real Peria Jerry we had all been waiting for was ready to shine through.  

And then preseason came...and Peria Jerry looked like the same player we've seen the whole time.  He just looked a bit lost out there, but maybe it's due to the fact that he hasn't seen as much action as everyone else.  Or maybe he was thrown off going up against his brother, John Jerry.

Corey Peters went down on Sunday with a knee injury, but it has now been said that he will not require surgery, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the AJC.  Jerry will start in the Falcons' next preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, as Peters takes some time to heal.  He is currently listed as day-to-day.  If Peria Jerry can show up in his next start, he may receive even more playing time in the regular season.  As of right now, though, Peters is slated as the starter.  

Stephen Nicholas vs. Mike Peterson

The newly released depth chart for the Atlanta Falcons lists Stephen Nicholas as the starter at weak side linebacker.  As much as Mike Smith would love for Mike Peterson to continue starting every season, this may be the time to change things up.

Mike Peterson is 35 years old, and we all know he is not going to be the same Mike forever.  He recorded 109 tackles in his first season as a Falcon in 2009.  That number dropped considerably in 2010, as he made 59 tackles on the year.  The instincts and the sound play are still there, but he has lost a step or two.  

Stephen Nicholas is far from a rookie, but he is still only 28 years old.  He has the speed, size and ability to be a great starter for this team.  He made 78 tackles in 2010, and if he is given the starting job, that number will certainly go up this season.  

TheFalcoholic.com has comments made from Mike Smith about Peterson.

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"Mike Peterson is a football player,’’ Smith said. "It doesn’t matter if it’s defense, or special teams; he’s going to do whatever it takes to contribute and help our football team win. If you ask Mike he would tell you he can go over to the offensive side and probably play some positions over there as well. You love to have guys like that. He’s a pro. He just loves to play the game of football."

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So you can see, Peterson is highly praised in the Falcons organization.  The players respect him, the coaches love him.  He can still be a leader for this team, but he was most likely be seeing a drop off in playing time.  

Harry Douglas vs. Kerry Meier vs. Eric Weems

Roddy White is the number one receiver for Atlanta, I certainly hope no one is doubting this fact.  Julio Jones is already listed as the number two receiver, and he's never even seen a regular season down.  When you give up that much for one player, though, he's going to get the playing time right away.  Jones was drafted to provide some help to White in the passing game.  After these two on the depth chart, who's next in line?

Harry Douglas is said to be the slot receiver at the moment.  He's small, he's quick, and he has more experience than the other two mentioned in the title at receiving.  Douglas tore his ACL in the preseason of 2009 and missed the entire season.  Last year he came back and caught 22 passes.  He didn't seem to be completely returned to normal, but that can be expected after such a major injury.  

Reports say that Douglas is at full strength this season, and he has already displayed what he can do, as he had three receptions for 47 yards and one touchdown in their first preseason game against the Miami Dolphins. 

Eric Weems has been with the Falcons since 2007, but he has only caught 13 passes during his tenure.  He has made himself as the kick/punt returner for Atlanta, and even went to the Pro Bowl in 2010...as a return man   He will most likely continue to be used sparingly in the passing game.  

However, Weems was targeted 5 times in the Falcons' first preseason game, the most out of all receivers.  This doesn't mean much now, but if it continues to be like this Weems might be a larger factor in the passing game.

Kerry Meier is an interesting case.  The 165th pick of the 2010 draft, Meier is a big receiver with something to prove.  He too is recovering from ACL surgery after tearing his in a preseason game against New England last year.  Meier brought down 97 catches in 2008 for the Kansas Jayhawks, setting the single season record for the school.  

Some expected Meier to be cut from the team, but after a great performance in training camp, Meier looks like he could be the fourth receiver.  He has sure hands, and reminds Falcons fans of Brian Finneran.  Hopefully he will exceed those expectations.  

It is unlikely the anyone but Harry Douglas will take the third receiver position, but Kerry Meier might see some action his way if he continues to perform well.      

Dominique Franks vs. Chris Owens

Fans are ready to name Dominique Franks the Falcons' nickelback today.  Why is that?  One play in their game against the Dolphins made up everyone's mind.  

Chris Owens bit on a pump fake by Chad Henne and was burned instantly, leading to a 44-yard touchdown by Brian Hartline.  Immediately after the game, Owens was the center of criticism.  

Owens, 24, and Franks, 23, are young, talented defensive backs.  They are going to make mistakes.  Yet Dominique Franks does seem to have the edge on Owens.  Franks has appeared to have better instincts in the passing game, and has consistently performed well in training camp.  

Chris Owens has all the talent to make a great back, but he appears to lack the ability to be in the right position.  It has often been said that he is not as effective in coverage than Franks.

Owens has one year up on Franks, so he has been listed as the starter for the nickel position.  It would not be a surprise to see Franks take over these duties when the season starts.  Rafael Bush has even been thrown in the mix now, as he made a splash with an interception in the game against Miami.  He is a backup safety that is yet another youngster in the core of Falcons defensive backs.  It is unlikely that he will take the spot over these two, though.   

Chris Redman vs. John Parker Wilson vs. Adam Froman

Matt Ryan is becoming a terrific NFL quarterback, so there is absolutely no concern that anyone would replace him.  There is a battle for his backup.  

Chris Redman has been Atlanta's backup since 2007, and when he has had to play, he has performed reasonably well.  He has two young guns behind him, John Parker Wilson and Adam Froman, who have very different standings with this team.  JPW set plenty of records at the University of Alabama, but has yet to see a regular season snap in the NFL.  Adam Froman was signed just recently by the Falcons, and is trying to make his way onto this team.  

Wilson suffered a concussion against the Dolphins after being hit hard by Jimmy Wilson (no relation).  He completed 12 of 19 passes for 111 yards, and threw one interception.  After he was taken to the locker room, Froman played the rest of the game.  Froman threw for 45 yards, completing 6 of 13.  Unfortunately he also threw a pick at the end of the game, ruining a golden opportunity for him to shine.  

Redman is most likely safe at his number two spot.  It is unknown how long John Parker Wilson will be out, but if he does have to miss considerable time, this could be an opportunity for Froman to make a name for himself.  Most likely he will be running the practice squad, but he could move up in the ranks if he performs well.