Shockley healthy, Weiner not

Steve Wyche of the AJC reports that quarterback D.J. Shockley has been medically cleared to participate in all football-related team activities. Shockley suffered a torn ACL during last summer and missed all of the regular season, and has been limited thus far throughout most of the off-season.

Wyche also reports that offensive tackle Todd Weiner is still sidelined as he is recovering from knee surgery. Weiner missed 8 games last season due to injuries to both knees and underwent surgery on both. According to Wyche, Weiner indicated his hope that he would be doing some light jogging at this point in the off-season, but is not. Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff expects Weiner to be healthy by the start of training camp at the end of July.

Lewis has setback in recovery

The AJC reports that Falcons defensive tackle Trey Lewis has re-injured his already recovering knee in a "freak" accident in falling down stairs. Lewis suffered a torn ACL in his right knee this past November and had been rehabbing it. This latest injury is considered a major setback in his recovery from that initial injury. According to his agent, Richard Katz, he is scheduled to have more surgery this week.

This latest setback will likely prompt the Falcons to make a move at defensive tackle prior to the draft. Various reports indicated the Falcons interest in veteran defensive tackles Marcus Stroud and Shaun Rogers, both of whom have been traded within the past week. Currently still available on the trade block is New York Jets defensive tackle Dewayne Robertson, who recently had a trade to go to Cincinnati nixed. Although it's unknown if the Falcons will show any specific interest in Robinson, defensive tackle likely becomes a major need for the Falcons either via free agency and/or the draft.

Horn and 3 others doubtful vs. Cards

The Falcons have a few injuries this week as they prepare to face the Arizona Cardinals on the road. The team listed three players on their Friday injury report as doubtful, along with one questionable, and three probables.

The biggest name among those listed as doubtful is wide receiver Joe Horn. Horn was only able to participate in a limited fashion on Thursday of this week, missing both Wednesday and Friday practices due to the flu. Both tight end Alge Crumpler and quarterback Joey Harrington missed some practice time this week due to the flu, but neither player is listed on the injury report, and thus is expected to play on Sunday.

Also doubtful were defensive tackle Tim Anderson and defensive back Antoine Harris, both out with knee injuries. Harris has missed the last two games due to a bone bruise on his knee. If Anderson does not play, it's possible that Jesse Mahelona will get his first action of the season for the Falcons.

Cornerback Chris Houston was the only player listed as questionable, as he's suffering from a knee injury as well. The team is already without cornerback Lewis Sanders and coupled with Harris's injury it likely will put more of the onus on reserve David Irons and the newly added Brent Grimes to step up. Irons has served primarily on special teams this season. He currently leads the team with 12 special teams tackles, but has yet to record a regular defensive stop all year long.

The three probable players are defensive end John Abraham (knee), quarterback Byron Leftwich (ankle), and center Todd McClure (illness). Both Leftwich and McClure missed Friday practice, while Abraham was limited all week and did not practice on Wednesday. But all are expected to play on Sunday.

For the Arizona Cardinals, their most prominent injuries are that both starting receivers: Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin are listed as questionable for Sunday's game with groin and toe injuries, respectively.

Redman remains starter; Sanders goes to IR

Interim head coach Emmitt Thomas indicated this week that quarterback Chris Redman will remain the starter. Redman struggled last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers completing 4 of 15 passes for 34 yards with 2 interceptions. If no changes are made between now and this weekend, Redman will start his third game for the Falcons against the Arizona Cardinals.

The Falcons also placed cornerback Lewis Sanders on injured reserve on Monday. Sanders suffered a partial tear of his pectoral muscle last weekend. To replace him on the roster, the team promoted cornerback Brent Grimes from the practice squad. Grimes was promoted to the roster earlier this season, but only lasted a few days before he was released and re-signed to the practice squad.

Weiner makes 3 OTs on IR

The Falcons announced that offensive tackle Todd Weiner was placed on injured reserve on Thursday after undergoing season-ending surgery on his left knee. Weiner had struggled with knee injuries for the majority of the season, suffering it first to his right knee in the Week 5 loss to the Tennessee Titans and underwent surgery. After missing the next three weeks, he returned two weeks ago against the Carolina Panthers, but injured the left knee a week later versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Weiner is the third offensive tackle to wind up on the injured reserve for the Falcons, all with left knee injuries. Wayne Gandy began the season as the starting left tackle, but was also injured against the Titans tearing his left ACL. Renardo Foster replaced him for the next two weeks, but also ended his season with a torn left ACL. Weiner started the first 5 games of the season at right tackle before his first knee injury. When he returned, he was switched to the left side.

Quinn Ojinnaka has started two games thus far at left tackle as a repalcement for Weiner, including last week's contest against the Indianapolis Colts. He is expected at least for now to continue in that role. If not him, Terrance Pennington may get a long look at the position as the Falcons try to build depth for next season. Pennington got his first action of the season last week against the Indianapolis Colts. He has Ojinnaka beat in overall experience. He started 9 games last season as a rookie at right tackle for the Buffalo Bills.

Harrington to start vs. Colts

The Falcons have made a short-term decision on who will be the starting quarterback at least for tomorrow night's matchup against the Indianapolis Colts. Joey Harrington will replace an injured Byron Leftwich in the starting lineup. Leftwich is listed among several Falcons as doubtful the Thanksgiving Night matchup against the Colts. Leftwich suffered an injured tailbone in last week's loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Head coach Bobby Petrino was noncommittal on whether Harrington or Leftwich would get the start afterwards during this week's press conference: "Since this is such a short week, we are worrying about the Indianapolis game right now. We’ll have a little break after that and we’ll see how everything goes.”

In other injury news, the Falcons listed tight end Dwayne Blakley (concussion), wide receiver Joe Horn (hamstring/foot), and offensive tackle Todd Weiner (knee) also as doubtful. Blakley is expected to be replaced by Courtney Anderson, a free agent pickup from a week ago. Rookie Laurent Robinson has filled in for Horn the past two weeks and will likely do again for a third consecutive week. Weiner was replaced by Quinn Ojinnaka at left tackle during last week's game when he went out with injury. Ojinnaka is expected to do so again, although there might be a chance that Terrance Pennington may be given some reps on Thursday at left tackle.

Also on the injury report was tight end Alge Crumpler who was listed as probable with a foot injury.

Coleman and Lewis go on IR

The Falcons were dealt a severe blow at defensive tackle on Tuesday when they placed both starters Rod Coleman and Trey Lewis on injured reserve. To improve depth, the Falcons signed defensive tackle Jesse Mahelona, promoted defensive end Kevin Huntley from the practice squad, and re-signed end Derrick Jones to the practice squad.

Both Coleman and Lewis suffered their injuries this past weekend against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Coleman injured his triceps and hand on his right arm, while Lewis suffered a severe right knee injury. Depth was already a concern at the position after the release of starter Grady Jackson three weeks ago. After Jackson's release, Lewis was promoted permanently as the starter at nose tackle. Coleman only returned from injury just five weeks ago.

Jonathan Babineaux and Montavious Stanley are expected to replace Coleman and Lewis, respectively. Babineaux started the first few games of the season in place of Coleman at the undertackle position. Stanley has gotten extensive playing time as the reserve nose tackle much of the season and now will be counted on to start. The team added free agent Tim Anderson a few weeks ago. He's been inactive thus far, but will likely be counted on to have a much bigger role in the ensuing games.

Mahelona was a fifth round pick of the Tennessee Titans a year ago. Last season as a reserve with the Titans, he recorded 11 tackles and 1 sacks in 10 games. He was released by the Titans after being inactive for Week 1 this season, and joined the Miami Dolphins in October. He was inactive for a single game before the Dolphins released him.

Huntley has been off and on the Falcons practice squad several teams thus far this year. He was originally signed on September 12 and then released on October 9. He was re-signed on October 29. Jones originally joined the team's practice squad on October 17, but was released two weeks ago.

Falcons make roster moves

One Falcon rookie will have his season begin, while another one will have his season end. The Falcons promoted running back Jason Snelling from the practice squad, and also placed tight end Martrez Milner on injured reserve. Snelling was the team's seventh round pick this past April, while Milner was selected in the fourth round. Snelling had spent the first ten weeks of the season on the team's practice squad after leading the team in rushing during the preseason. Milner had played primarily as a reserve, but had seen substantial playing time throughout the season due to injuries to Dwayne Blakley and Alge Crumpler. He finishes the season with 9 catches for 50 yards. To make room for Snelling, the team released linebacker Travis Williams. Replacing Milner will be tight end Courtney Anderson.

In four preseason games, Snelling had 41 carries for 174 yards (4.2 avg) and also caught 7 passes for 35 yards (5.0 avg). His preseason performance however was not enough to earn him a roster spot, as the team decided to go with a more experienced running back in Artose Pinner. Due to the recent injury to Jerious Norwood, and the struggles of Pinner as a situational runner, the team is expected to give Snelling a long look in short yardage situations.

Williams was promoted to the active roster from the practice squad a month ago. In three games he appeared in, he recorded 3 stops on special teams.

Anderson appeared in 2 games this season with the Detroit Lions. He was waived by the Miami Dolphins at the end of training camp, after being released by the Oakland Raiders at the end of July. He started 28 games for the Raiders over the past three seasons, catching 62 passes for 763 yards (12.3 avg) and 6 touchdowns. He was originally a 7th round pick out of San Jose State in 2004.

Crumpler doubtful vs. 49ers

The Falcons weekly injury report was updated today indicating that Falcons tight end Alge Crumpler is doubtful for this weekend's matchup against the San Francisco 49ers with knee and ankle injuries. Crumpler missed the Falcons Week 7 matchup against the New Orleans Saints due to the same injuries. It was the first time he missed any games due to injury in his entire career. In 2004, he sat out the final two games of the regular season so he could rest for the postseason. Crumpler has battled knee ailments all off-season long as he had surgery in April, and missed most of training camp due to the injury.

The only Falcon listed as out for this weekend's game is quarterback Byron Leftwich, who suffered a high ankle sprain against the Saints, and is expected to be out for at least another two weeks.

Also on the injury report were linebackers Stephen Nicholas (ankle), defensive tackle Montavious Stanley (knee), and offensive tackle Todd Weiner (knee). All three players were listed as questionable. Nicholas has missed the past two games with a high ankle sprain. Stanley suffered a knee injury in practice this past week. Weiner too has missed the last two games with a knee injury suffered against the Tennessee Titans. Both Nicholas and Weiner managed to have limited participation in practice all week long, which may mean both players could return next week.

Dwayne Blakley should get his second consecutive start in place of Crumpler, if he's unable to go. Joey Harrington will return to the starting lineup, subbing for Leftwich. Nicholas will continue to be replaced by linebacker Travis Williams as a reserve behind starter Demorrio Williams. Tyson Clabo has filled in for Weiner the past two games at right tackle. And the Falcons signed Tim Anderson yesterday to bolster depth behind Trey Lewis in place of Stanley.

Falcons add DT Anderson

Due to the recent knee injury to backup nose tackle Montavious Stanley, the Falcons signed free agent defensive tackle Tim Anderson. To make room for Anderson, the Falcons released cornerback Brent Grimes, who was promoted from the practice squad to the active roster on Monday. Stanley's injury is ironic considering the Falcons released starting defensive tackle Grady Jackson last week. The team reasoned that Jackson's release was necessary due to the improved health of defensive tackles Rod Coleman and Jonathan Babineaux in recent weeks. Jackson signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars this week.

Anderson appeared in 4 games with the Buffalo Bills this year before being released on October 20. He recorded 3 tackles in his time in Buffalo. He was originally a third round pick out of Ohio State in 2004. In 2005, he was the Bills' regular starter, making 12 starts and finishing the season with 42 tackles and 1 sack. Last season, he lost his starting job to Kyle Williams, but still managed 5 starts and 32 tackles on the year. Reports this spring had the Bills putting Anderson, who was a restricted free agent, on the trading block.

Grimes spot on the practice squad was taken by defensive end Kevin Huntley. Huntley was re-signed after spending 4 weeks on the practice squad earlier in the regular season. It is unknown if the Falcons will release Huntley for a second time to make room for Grimes. The Falcons have yet to specify how long they expect Stanley to be out of commission.

Leftwich has surgery; out 3-4 weeks

The Falcons announced that quarterback Byron Leftwich had surgery on his ankle Wednesday morning. And because of it he is expected to miss 3-4 weeks per Bobby Petrino. According to Petrino, Leftwich is shooting for a return in two weeks, but team doctors have indicated the 3-4 week prognosis as the more likely one.

Leftwich underwent a procedure in which he had screws inserted into his ankle in order to help promote and improve healing. Leftwich injured his ankle this past weekend against the New Orleans Saints midway through his first start of the season.

In the meantime, Joey Harrington will resume the starting position. Harrington started the first six games of the season, but was demoted last week in favor of Leftwich.

Foster out for season

Updating previous reports, Renardo Foster is the second Falcons left tackle to land himself on the injured reserve, meaning that he will no longer suit up for the team this season. Foster tore his left ACL on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints. That is the same injury that Wayne Gandy suffered two weeks ago against the Tennessee Titans, which also landed him on injured reserve.

The Falcons plan to start Quinn Ojinnaka at left tackle in two weeks when they host the San Francisco 49ers. The team has a bye this week. To fill Foster's spot on the roster, the team signed ex-Buffalo Bills tackle Terrance Pennington.

Pennington, a 7th round pick out of New Mexico for the Bills last season, started 9 games at right tackle in 2006. He was released by the Bills at the end of training camp, having lost his job to free agent Langston Walker.

In other Falcons news, the AJC reports that the Falcons worked out free agent defensive Quentin Moses on Tuesday. Moses was released last week by the Arizona Cardinals, after being cut by the Oakland Raiders during the summer. Moses was drafted in the third round by the Raiders this past April. He worked out with the Kansas City Chiefs last Friday, and according to the AJC has another one scheduled with the Miami Dolphins today.

Moses likely is a candidate for the Falcons practice squad. The team added defensive end Derrick Jones last week. Jones was an undrafted rookie free agent with the Pittsburgh Steelers this past summer, but was released by the Steelers at the end of the summer. The team also signed ex-Raiders end Kevin Huntley earlier in the season to the practice squad. The Falcons recently parted ways with defensive end Josh Mallard, which leaves the team with only three players at that position, creating some depth issues.

No update on Foster

Injured offensive tackle Renardo Foster underwent an MRI on Monday morning, but the Falcons have no disclosed the results. Foster injured his left knee late in this past weekend's loss to the New Orleans Saints. However, head coach Bobby Petrino did not sound optimistic in his Monday press conference indicating that the team might have to look at adding a free agent.

Foster, starting his second game on Sunday as a replacement for Wayne Gandy, went down in a similar way to Gandy in the loss to the Tennessee Titans two weeks ago. Gandy tore his ACL and is now done for the entire season. Foster suffered a torn ACL in his left knee in 2004 while he was at Louisville.

The Falcons are beat up currently at offensive tackle with Gandy out and fellow starter at right tackle Todd Weiner also injured. Weiner suffered a knee injury as well in the Titans game and has missed the past two weeks. The initial prognosis indicated that Weiner would be out for 2-6 weeks. He's already missed two games, being replaced by guard Tyson Clabo. If Weiner is able to return soon, the potential loss of Foster would dramatically be reduced. But without him, the team might be forced to start backup right tackle Quinn Ojinnaka on the left side. Ojinnaka replaced Foster on Sunday after his injury. The team also signed tackle Harvey Dahl off the San Francisco 49ers practice squad two weeks ago. Neither Ojinnaka or Dahl have started an NFL game.

The Falcons will have a bye this week, which should give Weiner extra time to recover and also more time to find a potential replacement for Foster if need be.

Leftwich out 2-4 weeks

Per KFFL.com, Jay Glazer of FOX Sports reports that Byron Leftwich is expected to miss 2-4 weeks with a high right ankle sprain. Leftwich suffered the injury during the third quarter of today's loss against the New Orleans Saints.

Leftwich has battled injuries throughout his career. He has already suffered what was deemed a minor sprain to his right ankle earlier this season. Last season as the starter for the Jacksonville Jaguars he missed ten games due to an injury to his left ankle. He broke that same ankle in 2005 and was out for six weeks, missing five games. In 2004, he tore the lateral cruciate ligament in his left knee. He missed three starts due to that injury. Leftwich's inability to make it through a season healthy certainly played a major factor in why he was released by the Jaguars this past summer.

Even with the most optimistic prognosis thus far, Leftwich will miss at least one game. But the team's upcoming bye week may be slightly fortuitous, which will allow him an extra week to recoup without missing time. Leftwich was recently promoted to the starting position. In his absence, Joey Harrington is expected to replace him.

There has been no definitive injury update for offensive tackle Renardo Foster who was carted off the field in the fourth quarter with a left leg injury. Wayne Gandy, the player whom Foster has been replacing, was carted off the field two weeks ago against the Tennessee Titans after suffering a left knee injury. He was placed on injured reserve with a torn ACL. Foster, an undrafted rookie free agent, had only made his second NFL start on Sunday. Quinn Ojinnaka finished the game at left tackle. If Foster's injury is serious it is unknown yet if the Falcons will use the bye week to try and add more help at that position.

Coleman could get first action of the season on Monday night

Updating this week's injury report, the Falcons are listing only two players as out for Monday night's contest against the New York Giants. Those player are offensive tackle Todd Weiner and linebacker Stephen Nicholas. Weiner is expected to miss two to six weeks with a knee injury and Nicholas suffered a high ankle sprain last weekend and will miss two weeks.

Defensive tackles Jonathan Babineaux (knee) and Rod Coleman (knee), along with linebacker Keith Brooking (hamstring) and quarterback Byron Leftwich (ankle) are all listed as questionable for the game as well. Babineaux was the only one among the four the participated in Friday's practice. Coleman had limited participation on Wednesday and Thursday, and Petrino expressed optimism earlier in the week that he'd be ready to play on Monday. This game would mark the first for Coleman this season, as he's been unable to practice for the most part since April. The extra day of rest should benefit the Falcons, as reports indicate that Leftwich's injury is relatively minor, and he was held out on Friday so that he could extra rest.

Leftwich was promoted ahead of Chris Redman as the No. 2 quarterback on the depth chart this week. If Coleman and/or Babineaux are unable to go, Trey Lewis will make his third consecutive start of the season.

As for the players listed as probable on the injury report, they included tight end Dwayne Blakley (chest), safety Chris Crocker (knee), tight end Alge Crumpler (knee/ankle), defensive tackle Grady Jackson (back), and cornerback Lewis Sanders (shoulder). All are expected to play and/or start.

Weiner out as well

The AJC reports that offensive tackle Todd Weiner is out 2-6 weeks after undergoing surgery on his right knee. Weiner injured the knee during last weekend's game against the Titans, missing a part of it, but managed to return at the end when left tackle Wayne Gandy went down with a torn ACL. On Tuesday the Falcons placed Gandy on injured reserve, ending his season. Now they will be without their right tackle for a lengthy period of time.

Reserve guard Tyson Clabo is expected to fill in for Weiner while he is out. Renardo Foster is expected to play for Gandy on the left side. Quinn Ojinnaka is expected to work as a swing tackle, backing up both positions. Clabo started 10 games last season, most of them coming at right guard, but has worked at tackle in the past.

The Falcons will miss Weiner against the Giants this upcoming week. In five career starts against the Giants going up against Pro Bowl defensive Michael Strahan, Weiner has only allowed one sack.

Gandy goes on IR

The Falcons placed injured offensvie tackle Wayne Gandy on injured reserve today. He suffered a torn ACL in Sunday's matchup against the Titans. To fill his spot on the roster, the team promoted Renardo Foster to the starting lineup, and signed Harvey Dahl off the San Francisco 49ers practice squad.

Gandy's injury came on the Falcons final drive, and he was carted off the field as he was unable to leave under his own power. Foster entered the game and was immediately called for holding on what would amount to be the Falcons last chance at tying up the game. Foster filled in for Gandy during the Jaguars game in Week 2, and was also flagged for holding late in that game as the Falcons attempted to tie up the game on their final drive.

Next week, Foster is set to face Pro Bowl defensive end Osi Umenyiora, who tallied six sacks two weeks ago against the Philadelphia Eagles, going up against second-year player Winston Justice who was an injury replacement for William Thomas.

This injury, although not career-threatening could potentially and effectively end the career of 36-year old Gandy. As he was being carted off on the field on Sunday, there were tears in Gandy's eyes.

Dahl was originally an undrafted free agent out of Nevada-Reno in 2005 with the Dallas Cowboys. He never went to camp with the Cowboys, but was picked up by the San Francisco 49ers. He spent most of the '05 season on their practice squad, although he was inactive on their 53-man roster for the final two games that season. The following spring, he played with the Rhein Fire in NFL Europe. In 2006, he played in 4 games with the 49ers mostly on special teams. He was cut this past summer by the 49ers, but spent the first five weeks on their practice squad.

The team also announced that defensive end Kevin Huntley was released from the practice squad. He was added prior to Week 2 of this year.

Coleman and Hall questionable

Despite being able to participate on a limited basis in practice this week, including working with the first team defense, defensive tackle Rod Coleman is not completely back. He is listed as questionable on the team's injury report for this Sunday's matchup against the Tennessee Titans. Also listed as questionable is cornerback DeAngelo Hall, who suffered an ankle injury in practice.

Coleman has yet to play a down this season, suffering from a thigh injury in the spring and recently recovering from knee surgery. His normal replacement has been Jonathan Babineaux, but he is suffering from an injured knee and the only Falcon to be listed as out this week. Rookie Trey Lewis replaced Babineaux in the starting lineup last week, and will do so again if Coleman does not suit up.

If Hall does not play on Sunday, then he'll likely be replaced by Chris Houston. Houston started in place of Hall last week when Hall was benched for the first quarter against the Texans.

In other injury news, tight end Dwayne Blakley who has missed the past two games with a chest injury is listed as probable this week and expected to play.

Lewis to start on Sunday

Contrasting earlier reports that he was suffering from only a mild knee injury, the Falcons updated defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux's status to indicate that he will not play this weekend against the Houston Texans. Babineaux had been serving as an injury replacement for Rod Coleman in the starting lineup, but will now be replaced by rookie Trey Lewis. Head coach Bobby Petrino was hopeful that Babineaux might be able to return next week, but the AJC is reporting that he might miss three weeks. This injury leaves the Falcons with only three active defensive tackles for Sunday. Sharing time with Lewis will be Montavious Stanley, who will perform swing duties at both tackle spots, backing up Lewis and nose tackle Grady Jackson as well. Petrino indicated earlier in the week that it is possible that Coleman will return to the lineup next week. Lewis will be the fourth Falcon rookie to start this season, following Jamaal Anderson, Justin Blalock, and Laurent Robinson. Although there is a good possibility that another rookie starter will be joining him in the lineup, either cornerback Chris Houston or David Irons due to the possible benching of DeAngelo Hall.

In other injury news, both Chris Crocker and Todd Weiner are expected to start and play this weekend. But tight end Dwayne Blakley is listed out once more.

Coleman still out with sore knee

Falcons defensive tackle Rod Coleman was held out of practice today, and is currently listed as out on the Falcons injury report as of Wednesday. He is not expected to play this weekend against the Houston Texans.

Coleman underwent knee surgery just prior to the start of the regular season, and the initial prognosis was that he would miss four games. Coach Petrino indicated during his Wednesday press conference that it is doubtful that Coleman will play this week, and that the team hopes to get him ready for next week. His still has soreness in knee after working it over the weekend.

In other injury news, tight end Dwayne Blakley (pectoral), defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux (knee), safety Chris Crocker (knee), and offensive tackle Todd Weiner (knee) also missed practice today due to various injuries. Blakley did not play last week. Babineaux has filled in for Coleman in the starting lineup. Crocker missed the first two games due to the same knee injury, but managed to start against the Panthers this past week. Petrino indicated he expects both Crocker and Weiner to participate in Thursday practices, indicating they should play this weekend. But Blakley is likely to be out for at least another week. No update as of yet on Babineaux. The AJC reports that his knee injury is only mild.

Coleman undergoes knee surgery

Today defensive tackle Rod Coleman underwent a procedure to repair damage in his left knee. Coleman could miss up to four games. He is currently recovering from a torn quadriceps suffered this past April, and was not expected to play this upcoming weekend against the Vikings. This additional procedure is just a minor setback.

Jonathan Babineaux is slated to start instead of Coleman this week.

The Falcons also announced that quarterback Casey Bramlet was promoted to the active roster from the practice squad. Remi Ayodele was released in order to make room for him.

Falcons trim roster to 75

The Falcons made nine roster moves this afternoon to get under the league's mandatory limit of 75 players. The Falcons will make more moves in the coming week, as the team will have to get down to 53 players come next Saturday and establish an eight-man practice squad.

The most notable of the moves may have been the claiming of defensive tackle Montavious Stanley off waivers from the Cowboys. Stanley played for Petrino at Louisville, and was a sixth round draft choice by the Cowboys last season. Last season after being released by the COwboys during training camp, spent a week on the St. Louis Rams practice squad before being signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars. In three games with the Jaguars, he recorded 4 tackles, 0.5 sacks, and 1 forced fumble. He was re-signed by the Cowboys later on in the year and spent the final 4 weeks and a playoff game on their inactive list.

The team placed safety Omare Lowe on injured reserve, who suffered a knee injury early in camp. The team also waived/injured safety Nick Turnbull. If he clears waivers, he will land on the injured reserve list as well.

Five players were released including punter Adam Anderson, defensive tackles Michael Bozeman and Kelly Talavou, safety Jeramie Johnson, and wide receiver Ben Nelson.

Shockley done for the year

The AJC's Steve Wyche reports that Falcons quarterback D.J. Shockley will miss the entire 2007 season due to a torn ACL and damaged MCL in his left knee. Shockley injured his knee Friday night against the Buffalo Bills. At first it was believed to be a sprain, but after further tests over the weekend, it was discovered that had damaged both ligaments.

Wyche reports that the Falcons could explore options about replacing Shockley on the roster, including trades and also may look to add a veteran off the waiver wire in the coming weeks. Teams are required to cut down their rosters to a total of 75 players by August 28 and some quarterbacks may become available then. That will be the day after the Falcons play their next preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals. That game may serve as greater evaluation of current backups Chris Redman and Casey Bramlet.

Falcons angling for QB trade?

Although it's still unknown if the knee injury that D.J. Shockley suffered on Friday night's preseason win over the Buffalo Bills will sideline him for the entire season, the AJC's Steve Wyche reports that there may have been preliminary discussion about the Falcons acquiring another quarterback before the start of the regular season.

Shockley's initial prognosis indicated a sprained left knee, but an MRI taken on Saturday (the results of which have not been revealed) and a Sunday consultation with team trainers and doctors will determine his future.

Wyche reports that the Falcons have had preliminary trade talks with the Philadelphia Eagles in potentially acquiring veteran Kelly Holcomb. Holcomb was a backup in Buffalo the past few years before being traded to Philadelphia this past off-season. He has been the subject of rampant trade rumors this summer due to a glut of quarterbacks in Philly.

Previous rumors proposed that the Falcons could potentially be interested in Washington Redskins backup Mark Brunell and former Denver Broncos Jake Plummer, both of whom have previously worked with head coach Bobby Petrino. Although an injury to Redskins starter Jason Campbell might end any talk of Brunell being moved. Coincidentally, Campbell suffered a sprained left knee in the Redskins preseason contest against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday night.

Shockley goes down

D.J. Shockley suffered a sprained knee in Friday night's preseason victory over the Buffalo Bills. Shockley's injury occurred late in the game after leading the Falcons down the field for what would eventually be the game-winning drive. Chris Redman finished the drive with a 1-yard scoring pass to tight end George Cooper.

The severity of Shockley's injuries are currently unknown, but he will undergo further tests and an MRI on Sunday to assess the extent of the damage to his knee.

Shockley has been vying with Redman for the backup quarterback position during training camp and preseason.

Coleman on the mend

Falcons head coach Bobby Petrino indicated in his Wednesday press conference that he was hopeful that defensive tackle Rod Coleman will be healthy enough to play opening weekend of the regular season. Coleman tore his quadricep at the end of April, and the initial prognosis suggested he would miss three to five months.

Coleman resumed practice earlier this week, but is not expected to appear in any preseason games. Petrino indicated the initial prognosis has not changed due considering that this is somewhat a rare injury, and doctors are leery about rushing him back.

Falcons put Datish on IR

Although previous reports suggested that Doug Datish would only miss a limited amount of time due to a broken wrist, the Falcons ultimately decided to shut him down for the entire season by placing him on injured reserve. The team also opted to preemptively waive guard Toniu Fonoti, due to the fact that the team likes what they have seen from rookie guard Justin Blalock thus far.

Replacing the pair of offensive linemen on the roster will be former LSU center Ben Wilkerson and cornerback Tony Franklin.

Wilkerson was originally signed by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2005 as an undrafted free agent. He missed his rookie year due to a knee injury suffered during his senior year at LSU. He spent most of last year on the Bengals practice squad, but did spend the final six weeks on the team's roster, playing in three games. The Bengals waived him this past June.

Franklin is an undrafted free agent who signed with the Kansas City Chiefs this past May. He was cut on July 25. Franklin had several off-field issues in his four years at Virginia. He was dismissed by the team last spring following serving two suspensions as a junior due to an arrest involving marijuana and violating team rules. He split his time at safety and cornerback while with the Cavaliers, finishing his career with 208 tackles, 6 interceptions, and 12 pass breakups. He also returned 25 kickoffs for an average of 24.4 yards during his collegiate career.

Datish injures wrist

Craig Custance reported in the AJC's training camp blog that Falcons rookie center Doug Datish is set to have surgery on his right wrist on Monday, having missed practice on Friday due to a fracture.

How much time Datish will miss has yet to be determined. Coach Petrino indicated after practices that he did not expect Datish to miss much time.

Datish had been working behind starter Todd McClure and P.J. Alexander as the third string center for much of the first week of training camp. He was selected by the Falcons this past April in the sixth round, the third of four total choices in that round.

Dunn out 3-4 weeks

Steve Wyche of the AJC reports that running back Warrick Dunn underwent back surgery on July 21, and will miss the next three to four weeks. In his absence, second-year back Jerious Norwood is expected to take snaps with the first team.

Dunn's injury may cause him to miss several if not all of the preseason, and might carry over into the early weeks of the regular season.

Wyche also reports that linebacker Demorrio Williams is cleared to practice on Thursday's start to training camp. Williams, who tore his pectoral muscle earlier this off-season was expected to miss some time during the regular season, but his rehabilitation is ahead of schedule.

Finneran out for the year

Steve Wyche of the AJC reports that receiver Brian Finneran recently had reconstructive surgery on his left knee, ending any chance for a comeback in the 2007 season. Finneran tore his ACL in his knee last summer.

The loss of Finneran should open up greater opporturnities for rookie receiver Laurent Robinson and second-year receiver Adam Jennings for extended playing time this season at wide receiver.

Finneran goes down again

Steve Wyche of the AJC reports that wide receiver Brian Finneran re-injured his knee during the Falcons three-day minicamp over the weekend. Finneran was coming off a torn ACL suffered last summer.

The severity of the injury has yet to be determined, but will be so after further medical tests to see if he will be able to play this season. Initial prognosis from last year's knee injury was that Finneran would be able to return to full speed at the start of this summer's training camp. That return likely will be postponed, with the possibility that Finneran may be out for the remainder of this season. If that is the case, it may spell the end of his Falcon career.

Jackson not practicing

D. Orlando Ledbetter of the AJC writes that Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jackson is present at the team's three-day minicamp as expected, but is not expected to actually get action on the field due to recovery from off-season knee surgery.

The severity of Jackson's knee injury is not exactly known, although his agent, Angelo Wright, indicated that it was not an issue in Ledbetter's article.

Fellow starting defensive tackle Rod Coleman is also missing mini-camp, but his injury is much more severe. Coleman injured his quadriceps during draft weekend and is expected to miss 3-5 months.

Williams out several months

AJC's Steve Wyche reports that Falcons linebacker Demorrio Williams is expected to miss several months after receiving surgery for a torn pectoral muscle suffered last week while lifting weights. Williams could miss training camp and the preseason per Wyche's report.

Williams just re-signed with the Falcons after being a restricted free agent on April 23. He is slated to be the starting weakside linebacker for the Falcons this year. Over the weekend, the Falcons drafted linebacker Stephen Nicholas in the fourth round. Originally slated to line up behind Michael Boley on the strongside, Nicholas will now begin his Falcon career on the weakside as a replacement for Williams.

The Falcons have some versatility, since Keith Brooking can also play weakside linebacker. Which would leave third-year linebacker Jordan Beck as the likely alternative as the starter at middle linebacker.

Crumpler to miss time

Falcons tight end Alge Crumpler underwent surgery last Friday to clean out debris in his left knee. Recovery from the surgery is expected to make Crumpler miss most of the team's off-season workouts.

He is expected to be healthy in time for training camp. Crumpler had surgery on his shoulder last off-season, which caused him to miss all off-season workouts, and he was limited for most of the preseason as well.