Falcons add six to practice squad

The Falcons announced the addition of six players to their practice squad today and also claimed defensive tackle Jason Jefferson off waivers from the Buffalo Bills. To make room for Jefferson, they released Tim Anderson.

The team added seventh round pick Keith Zinger among the six practice squad additions. Also wide receiver Eric Weems, guard D'Anthony Batiste, cornerback Glenn Sharpe, safety Eric Brock, and defensive end Brandon Miller were signed by the team. All six players were with the team this summer. The Falcons have two remaining spots on their practice squad.

Jefferson was a sixth round pick of the New Orleans Saints in 2005. But was cut by the Saints during his first training camp, and spent time on the practice squads of the Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles before being signed by the Bills in October 2005. He began the '06 season on the Bills practice squad before being promoted to the team's roster in October, but remained inactive for most of the season. His most extensive action coming in 2007, where he had 11 tackles in 11 games. For his career, he has recorded 13 tackles in 21 games.

Anderson, another former Bills castoff was signed by the Falcons in November 2007. He had 5 tackles in 5 games for the Falcons. He was re-signed this past off-season and was seemingly the winner in a competition for the reserve nose tackle position behind Grady Jackson.

Harrington, Forney among final cuts

The Falcons announced their cuts today to get their roster down to the 53-man limit for the regular season. This likely won't be the only moves the team makes before their opener against the Detroit Lions on September 7, as they will pilfer through the waiver wire looking for players other teams released today.

Most prominent among those players released were quarterback Joey Harrington and guard Kynan Forney. Harrington started 10 games for the Falcons last year and was the team's leading passer, but lost out in the battle this summer against D.J. Shockley. Forney had started 89 games over the past seven seasons with the Falcons, but fell out of favor by the coaching staff early on with the emergence of Harvey Dahl in off-season workouts.

The other players released were: guard D'Anthony Batiste, safety Eric Brock, offensive tackle Mike Butterworth, safety Deke Cooper, center Doug Datish, defensive end Willie Evans, cornerback Wilrey Fontenot, defensive end Brandon Miller, defensive tackle Rashad Moore, offensive tackle Terrance Pennington, linebacker Mickey Pimentel, tight end Marcus Pollard, cornerback Glenn Sharpe, defensive tackle Montavious Stanley, safety Daren Stone, linebacker Cameron Vaughn, wide receivers Eric Weems and Chandler Williams, and tight end Keith Zinger. The team also placed running back Thomas Brown on injured reserve, as he'll miss the season with a torn muscle near his groin, suffered on Thursday night's preseason finale against the Ravens.

Along with Brown, Fontenot and Zinger were the only draft picks that did not make the final roster. Datish and Stone were draft picks for the team in 2007. None of the other players released had joined the team prior to last season.

Tomorrow, the Falcons will also establish their eight-man practice squad. Already on the developmental practice squad is wide receiver Noriaki Kinoshita, who counts as a ninth member, but won't be allowed to be elevated to the team's roster during the season.

Falcons take down Ravens

The Falcons ended their preseason with another win, taking down the Baltimore Ravens on the road by a score of 10-9. It was a game dominated by backups and modest offensive play as the team uses it to assess which players will make the roster with the final cuts to come by Saturday.

D.J. Shockley got most of the reps and led the team passing for 98 yards and a touchdown while completing 7 of 14 passes. On the ground, Jason Snelling had 88 yards rushing on 15 carries. Laurent Robinson led receivers with 3 catches for 40 yards. Brian Finneran scored on a 20-yard grab, his only catch of the game.

Defensively, the Falcons were stout keeping the Ravens out of the endzone. Kroy Biermann led defenders with 5 tackles and a sack. Stephen Nicholas (4 tackles), Thomas DeCoud (3 tackles, 1 interception), Brent Grimes (3 tackles), Chevis Jackson (3 tackles), Tony Taylor (3 tackles), Montavious Stanley (2 tackles), Glenn Sharpe (1 interception) and Kindal Moorehead (2 tackles, 1 sack) had noteworthy performances.

Jason Elam connected on his lone field goal attempt of 29 yards. Michael Koenen punted 10 times for an average of 39 with only 1 being placed inside the 20-yard line. Thomas Brown had 2 kickoff returns for an average of 20 yards and Chandler Williams returned 2 punts for a 12.5-yard average.

The Falcons will need to make 22 roster cuts between now and Saturday afternoon to get down to the league-mandated limit of 53 for the regular season. And they also hope that the momentum carried from these two recent preseason wins can also carry into the regular season. The season kicks off on September 7 as the Falcons host the Detroit Lions.

Ryan is Falcons starter

The Falcons named Matt Ryan their starting quarterback on Sunday. Ryan had received most of the reps during the preseason, despite entering training camp primarily working with the third string units. Although head coach Mike Smith has indicated in the past that it was to be an open competition between all four passers.

Ryan earned his first start on Friday in an impressive win over the Tennessee Titans. Smith and the coaching staff paid very close attention to Ryan throughout the summer and deemed him ready to play.

The Falcons have not announced how the rest of their quarterback depth chart will work. Chris Redman, according to the AJC, is the most likely candidate to win the No. 2 position behind Ryan. Redman entered camp No. 1 on the depth chart.

Falcons pick up Pollard

As originally reported by the Peoria Journal Star, the Falcons signed tight end Marcus Pollard on Sunday. To make room for Pollard, the team released George Cooper.

Pollard was released earlier this week by the New England Patriots. He played with the Seattle Seahawks last year, starting 10 games and catching 28 passes for 273 yards (9.8 avg) and 2 touchdowns. Prior to his stint with the Seahawks, he played two seasons with the Detroit Lions, catching 58 passes and 3 touchdowns. Prior to that, he played ten seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, catching 263 passes, 35 touchdowns, and starting 102 games of 146 games.

The Falcons signed Pollard, hoping to get a better receiving option at the position.

Falcons win first of 'Smitty' Era

The Falcons won their first preseason game with a 17-3 victory over the Tennessee Titans. It marked the first of hopefully many under new head coach Mike Smith and hope that it's somewhat a preview of what will be to come in the regular season with many of the team's starters getting extended minutes.

Matt Ryan got a taste of the starting position playing the entire first half and a series in the second. He finished the game completing 15 of 21 passes for 102 yards and a touchdown. Chris Redman replaced him and finished the game with 83 passing yards and completing 9 of 11 attempts. On the ground, Jerious Norwood despite an early injury led the team with 4 carries for 53 yards. Jason Snelling added 46 yards on 9 carries. Thomas Brown had 7 carries for 29 yards and a touchdown. Brian Finneran and Michael Jenkins led the receivers with 5 grabs each for 53 and 44 yards, respectively. Harry Douglas had 4 grabs for 19 yards and 1 score.

Defensively the Falcons were tough, limiting the Titans offense to 215 total yards. Curtis Lofton got his first start and led the team with 6 stops. Lawyer Milloy (5 tackles), Kroy Biermann (4 tackles, 1 sack), John Abraham (4 tackles, 1 sack), Michael Boley (4 tackles), Erik Coleman (3 tackles), Brent Grimes (2 tackles), Chevis Jackson (1 tackle, 1 interception), and Willie Evans (1 tackle, 1 sack) had notable performances as well.

Jason Elam connected on one of his two field goals making a 49-yarder. Michael Koenen had 5 punts for an average of 39.6 yards with 3 booted inside the 20-yard line. Thomas Brown had 2 kickoff returns for an average of 21 yards, and Adam Jennings had a solid outing, averaging 18 yards on 5 punt returns.

Next week the Falcons close out their exhibition schedule on the road against the Baltimore Ravens, hoping to build some more momentum with another win heading into the regular season.

Horn gets his release

The AJC reports that the Falcons have released wide receiver Joe Horn. Horn and his agent were given permission to seek a trade to another team earlier this summer, but trade talks had been unproductive.

Horn was signed by the team in 2007 to a four-year contract in hopes of bolstering the team's subpar receiver spot. But Horn was less than spectacular, only catching 27 passes in his first season with the Falcons. Instead, the Falcons saw increased production from young players like Roddy White, Michael Jenkins, and Laurent Robinson. WIth the team's decision to draft Harry Douglas this past April, the writing was on the wall that Horn would be gone from the team.

As part of his contract, Horn has his $2.5 million base salary this year guaranteed. According to ESPN's John Clayton, depending on the parameters of any new contract with his next team could lessen that load on their cap.

Ryan set to start against Titans

The Falcons announced today that rookie quarterback Matt Ryan will start the team's third preseason game on Friday against the Tennessee Titans. Ryan, along with most of the team's starters, is set to play the entire first half and a series in the second half. While the Falcons have not officially announced which of their quarterbacks will open the season as the starter, all signs point to Ryan.

Previously, head coach Mike Smith indicated that all four quarterbacks will get a chance to start one of the team's preseason games. Which means that D.J. Shockley will start the preseason finale against the Baltimore Ravens.

'Burner' blazes in 2nd preseason loss

The Falcons couldn't pull out a win in their home opener in the preseason by going down to the Indianapolis Colts 16-9. The Falcons had issues with turnovers as they gave up the ball five times. The only touchdown of the game for either team came on a 67-yard interception return by Kelvin Hayden off a Matt Ryan interception.

Joey Harrington got the start, but only appeared in two series in the first quarter. Matt Ryan got most of the reps at quarterback. He led the team with 62 yards, completing 8 of 16 passes with an interception. Harrington was 2 of 3 for 17 yards. Chris Redman was 3 of 4 for 56 yards with an interception. Shockley also had an interception and a fumble, and completed 2 of 5 passes for only 24 yards. On the ground, Michael Turner was one of the few shining stars for the team. He had 113 yards on only 4 carries, with his first touch going 52 yards and having another for 63 yards. Jerious Norwood added 25 yards on 7 carries. Michael Jenkins led the receivers with 4 grabs for 25 yards. Laurent Robinson (3 catches, 48 yards) and Roddy White (2 catches, 26 yards) also contributed.

Defensively, the Falcons were fairly solid, keeping the Colts offense out of the endzone and limiting them to field goals in multiple red zone opportunities. Blue Adams led defenders with 10 tackles. Michael Boley (5 tackles), Keith Brooking (4 tackles), Tony Taylor (4 tackles), Kroy Biermann (2 tackles, 1 sack), Curtis Lofton (3 tackles, 1 sack), and Daren Stone (1 tackle, 1 interception) also made notable contributions.

Jason Elam scored the team's only points with 3 field goals of 25, 35, and 40 yards. Michael Koenen had 4 punts for an average of 47.5 yards, placing 1 inside the 20-yard line. Adam Jennings had 2 kickoff returns for a 28-yard average and Harry Douglas averaged 7.5 yards on 2 punt returns.

The Falcons will have another home again next week against the Tennessee Titans. Some of the questions about who may be the starting quarterback for the regular season opener could be answered in that game.

Harrington to start against the Colts

Head coach Mike Smith named Joey Harrington the starter for Saturday's preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts.

Smith also indicated the rotation for the remaining three quarterbacks will be kept secret and only revealed on gameday, but the plan is for all to play. Last week, Chris Redman started for the Falcons, but was pulled after two series and an interception. Harrington completed 5 of 7 passes for 64 yards against the Jacksonville Jaguars last week. He also had the team's only rushing score.

Horn still wants trade

As first reported on ProFootballTalk.com, Joe Horn appeared on The Dan Patrick Show this morning and stated that he would still like to be traded, and mentioned the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles as two ideal places he would like to go.

Also, Horn praised the Falcons young receivers and rookie quarterback Matt Ryan. In the past, Horn has indicated his desire to be traded to a contending team where he could receive more playing time. Horn is currently listed among the team's third string receivers on their unofficial depth chart, after starting twelve games last season for the team.

Possible Milloy extension shelved for now

Pro Football Weekly reports that the Falcons are not moving forward in attempting to extend safety Lawyer Milloy's contract until they can gauge the "team dynamic" after a few weeks of the upcoming season. Milloy is entering a contract year, meaning he will be a free agent next spring.

Milloy turns 35 in November, and per PFW is seeking to have his contract extended by at least one year. According to the report, if Milloy doesn't receive an extension by the end of the year, he'll likely decide to move on in free agency to a contending team.

Although none were explicitly mentioned, this could also be a stance the team is taking with other contract year players. That includes prospective unrestricted free agents linebacker Michael Boley, defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux, punter Michael Koenen, and wide receiver Michael Jenkins. Offensive linemen Tyson Clabo and Harvey Dahl both are set to become restricted free agents after this season.

Several Falcons return from injury

D. Orlando Ledbetter of the AJC reports that center Todd McClure and cornerback Chris Houston has returned to practice. They were out with a back injury and dislocated shoulder, respectively Also wide receiver Laurent Robinson has resumed work after missing time with a bruised tailbone.

No report yet on whether all three players will be healthy enough to play on Saturday in the preseason home opener against the Indianapolis Colts. Alex Stepanovich started for McClure last week at center against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but too has been injured due to a back injury. In his stead, the team has worked reserve tackle Quinn Ojinnaka to center to provide more depth behind Ben Wilkerson and Doug Datish.

Houston is expected to be a starting cornerback for the Falcons, but is being pushed by Chevis Jackson who replaced him in last week's preseason game.

Robinson has been listed as third on the team's unofficial depth chart at wide receiver behind Michael Jenkins and Brian Finneran, and will be involved in the mix for increased playing time.

Ryan impressive in NFL debut

The Falcons first foray under new head coach Mike Smith ended in a loss to Smith's former team, the Jacksonville Jaguars, by a score of 20-17. Smith rolled the dice late in the game, going for it on 4th and 11 with 35 seconds left rather than settling for a field goal to send it into overtime. But the gamble ultimately ended in failure as D.J. Shockley threw an interception in the end zone three plays after converting the 4th down with a 17-yard run.

There were some positives from the game as the Falcons accomplished their goal of playing all four quarterbacks. While Chris Redman started the game, Matt Ryan probably emerged from the game the most impressive. Ryan completed 9 of 15 passes for 113 yards and a touchdown. In only two series before being replaced by Ryan, Redman was 3 of 6 for 13 yards and an interception. Harrington started out the second half, finishing the game with 64 yards passing on 5 of 7 attempts. He scored on a 1-yard dive. Shockley finished the game, completing 4 of 15 passes for 63 yards and an interception. On the ground, Jason Snelling was the leading rusher with 32 yards on 4 carries. Michael Turner (5 carries, 22 yards), Jerious Norwood (6 carries, 20 yards) and Thomas Brown (4 carries, 19 yards) also contributed on the ground. Roddy White led receivers with 5 catches for 47 yards and a touchdown. Snelling had 1 grab for 47 yards, while Brian Finneran also added 3 grabs for 33 yards.

Defensively, the Falcons run defense had some issues in its first outing of the 2008 preseason. They gave up 136 yards on 33 carries (4.1 avg) and 2 touchdowns. Brent Grimes and Curtis Lofton shared the team lead with 6 tackles each. Grimes broke up 2 passes and Lofton also forced and recovered a fumble. Lawyer Milloy (4 tackles), Stephen Nicholas (4 tackles), Daren Stone (3 tackles), Jamaal Anderson (2 tackles, 1 sack), and Kroy Biermann (1 tackle, 1 forced fumble, 1 recovery) also made notable contributions.

Jason Elam only hit on 1 of 3 field goal attempts, nailing a 36-yarder in the third quarter, but missed from 49 and 54 yards out. Michael Koenen had 5 punts for an average of 43.2 yards. Thomas Brown had 3 kickoff returns for an average of 20.7 yards, and Harry Douglas had a single punt return for 14 yards to round out the top special teams performances.

There are still some kinks the Falcons will need to have to work out. They were penalized 10 times and also gave up 5 sacks. They hope that there will be improvement in those areas and others when they square off against the Indianapolis Colts next week at home.

Redman named starter...for now

The Falcons announced that Chris Redman would start Saturday's preseason opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Head coach Mike Smith indicated that all four of the team's quarterbacks will get a chance to play in the game and that the current plan is to have each start one of the team's four preseason contests.

Smith indicated in his afternoon press conference that how much playing time each passer will receive will be determined by snap count and likely will number around fifteen snaps each. And although Redman has been slated to start, Smith indicated that too much should not be made about the starting lineups and the rotations for this first preseason contest.

In other news, the Falcons re-signed Doug Datish today and waived kicker Kevin Lovell to clear space for him. Datish was cut in June and was picked up by the Indianapolis Colts before he was cut on Tuesday. Datish was a seventh round choice for the Falcons in 2007, but spent his entire rookie season on injured reserve. He provides needed depth since center Todd McClure is expected to miss this weekend's game. The team cut Lovell, indicating they are more than happy with kicker Jason Elam handling field goals and punter Michael Koenen on kickoffs.

Ex-Falcon Williams suspended 5 games

Pro Football Weekly reports that ex-Falcons safety Jimmy Williams has been suspended for five games this season by the NFL.

Despite his suspension, Williams can still sign and practice with a team, as the suspension only takes effect at the start of the regular season. No specific reason for why Williams was suspended, but it likely stems from his arrest for marijuana possession last year.

The Falcons released Williams in June. He had reportedly skipped some OTAs in May and also reported to mini-camp over 230 pounds. His listed weight in 2007 was 212 pounds.

Rookie James out for year

The Falcons announced that they waived/injured rookie linebacker Robert James, who has missed time with a concussion. If James clears waivers, he will be placed on the Falcons injured reserve, joining cornerback Von Hutchins and offensive lineman Pat McCoy, as all will miss the season.

James was a fifth round draft choice for the Falcons competing for a reserve spot at weakside behind Keith Brooking. But he had recently been leapfrogged by veteran Coy Wire already in camp on the depth chart.

In other injury news, the AJC reports that tight end Martrez Milner is not expected to play this Saturday in the team's preseason opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Also Todd McClure, who has been nursing a back injury is expected to return to practice this week, but it's still unknown if he'll be held out of the Jaguars game. According to an AP report, offensive tackle Todd Weiner will also be held out this week's preseason game.