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Training Camp Preview: Atlanta Falcons
Notable Offseason Moves: Yes, Neo in the Matrix Reloaded can do some amazing things, like fly faster than the speed of sound and, amazingly, manage to keep an audience in the theater while flaunting his bare ass on the big screen for five minutes. But could he beat the Packers at Lambeau Field single-handedly during the playoffs? The last time that happened was, well, last year to Mike Vick and the Falcons. Before that the Pack had never lost a playoff game at home. Yeah, never. NFL Tickets
To reward Vick
for his ability to manipulate time and space, the Falcons decided to give him
another weapon to go with his cannon-arm and rocket-legs: a bona fide No. 1
receiver. Rumors ran rampant around the league about whom they’d bring
in—such as Arizona’s David Boston, who ended up signing with the
Chargers—but eventually Atlanta seized Buffalo’s Peerless Price.
“This gives us a dimension that we needed,” coach Dan Reeves told
the Associated Press on the day Atlanta signed Price. “When he touches
the ball, he can go the distance.” Peerless proved as much during his
breakout 2002 season catching 94 balls—seventh best in the NFL—and
piling up 1,252 yards and nine scores. Price’s benefits to the Falcons’
offense are threefold: he stretches the field with his big play ability, he
opens up more running lanes for Vick to traverse and he allows Brian Finneran
to step into his more natural role of number two recei! ver without damaging
last year’s stats. “I saw Mike Vick on ‘SportsCenter’
every day,” Price told the Associated Press in March. “Atlanta was
the hot ticket last year. Hopefully, we'll be even better this year.”
We think so. Fantasy players can expect Price to repeat last year’s stats
and help boost Vick’s passing yards beyond 3,000 and 20 touchdowns.
Hotlanta also added free agent MarTay Jenkins, previously with the Arizona Cardinals,
who could see some time on the field in three receiver sets and kick returns.
Tight end Reggie Kelly was shipped off to Cincinnati giving Alge Crumpler, who
had five touchdowns last year, a chance to become a serious sleeper pick. Position
Battles: “We've got speed at running back, wide receiver and quarterback,”
coach Dan Reeves told the Associated Press on March 7. “We're going to
present a lot of problems.” The only problem we have with Atlanta’s
depth chart is how fast we can sort out who will be the main running back from
game-to-game. We’d need a crystal ball to predict who will get what numbers
and when, but it’s logical to think that Warrick Dunn will get the majority
of carries and dump offs between the 10s and for T.J. Duckett to take the rock
to paydirt. The Falcons tricked fantasy players many games last year; switching
backs in the middle of games or from week-to-week. That just isn’t right.
Duckett started only three games, but vultured action in 12. The Falcons will
likely find a way to use both out of the backfield this year so let someone
else worry about the headache on draft day. NFL Tickets
There’s no competition at quarterback for the next decade, and the starting receiving positions are set in stone. Jenkins and third year man Quentin McCord will likely split third receiver duties, but neither will be a major fantasy factor.
Keep an Eye On: Monitor how well Price meshes with Vick. We heard reports out of minicamp that Peerless was having trouble getting used to Mike’s velocity and ball spin, but that should clear up through reps at practice. Bigger concerns will be watching how well Price handles being the number one wideout for the first time in his career and how quickly he can learn a new playbook. Atlanta may decide to let Price play more minutes in preseason, giving us a good look at how he stacks up against top defensive backs. If he gets shut down for short periods, look for Finneran to reap the rewards by catching a plethora 10-to-15 yard slants. Short of stopping bullets Matrix-like, Vick will continue to defy the laws of physics on the ground, and now, in the air.