Sackmaster John Abraham determined to have big season
Falcons defensive end (55) John Abraham appears determined to have a big season. Curtis Compton ccompton@ajc.com
FLOWERY BRANCH – NFL Network analyst Deion Sanders made an interesting point when he was here with his youth football team.
He noted that he looks at a football team from the outside- in. That’s probably because he played on the outside at cornerback.
Most folks do just the opposite. It’s wiser to look at a team from the inside-out. Basically you start with both lines.
“You know I look at the game from the outside-in,” Sanders said.
If a team can’t block, it is in for a long season. You can have the best cornerbacks in the world, but if the defensive line isn’t stout, the opposition is just going to jam the football down your throat with the running game.
The Falcons are not going anywhere unless the lines are at least sturdy and preferably, dominating.
Falcons owner Arthur Blank had a warm greeting for veteran offensive lineman Todd McClure. Curtis Compton/ccompton@ajc.com
Knowing that the NFL games are won in the trenches, it’s always important to keep track of the lines. So you have to always check-in with defensive line coach Ray Hamilton and offensive line coach Paul Boudreau.
Hamilton likes how his unit is performing early in training camp.
He noted that John Abraham is embracing a leadership role and is really dialed in about having a bounce-back season.
“Trey Lewis is two years removed from his knee surgery,” Hamilton said. “He’s moving better. (Jonathan) Babineaux is quick as ever. He’s learning a couple of new pass rush moves, the same with Abraham.”
Rookie Corey Peters is doing well so far. Lawrence Sidbury and Kroy Biermann have continued to improve, too. Thomas Johnson, who started 11 games last season, looks much bigger.
But the really big news on the defensive line is that Jamaal Anderson is really coming on at defensive end. He’s finally developing those violate hands that Hamilton preaches around.
Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Peria Jerry is back on the field for the second practice of the first day of training camp. Jerry missing most of last season with an injury. Curtis Compton, ccompton@ajc.com
Anderson has been playing so strong that he’s been in a couple skirmishes with the offensive linemen. He’s also working well at defensive tackle in pass rushing situations.
“I would say overall, they are on the upswing,” Hamilton said. “They are doing their techniques and stuff that we are trying to teach them, decently. You just have to carry that into the preseason games.”
The defensive line will get a major boost if Peria Jerry can fully recover from has knee surgery. He returned to live action.
“We are going to be patient and ease into this,” Hamilton said. “We want to make sure that his legs get stronger.”
Boudreau, who’s in his 24th year of coaching in the NFL, appears set with a line of Sam Baker and Justin Blalock on the left side and Harvey Dahl and Tyson Clabo on the right and Todd McClure at center.
“We have to set the tempo,” Boudreau said. “We have to have an unspoken chemistry and right now we’ve got guys really not on the same page. We’ve got a lot of work to do.”
Boudreau is trying to cross-train several players and that’s always difficult. Rookie Joe Hawley played mostly center at UNLV, but is being cross trained at guard.
Tackle (75) Garrett Reynolds levels a tackling dummy while running a drill. Curtis Compton, ccompton@ajc.com
Garrett Reynolds, who got some action at guard late last season, is working at guard and tackle.
“It’s always a little different when you move over one spot,” Boudreau said. “You have to get a feel for it. We are going to have to cross train people because as you know, we go into every game with seven linemen. In preseason games, if we are going to be working the second and third units in a game, we might have to swing some guys between guard and tackle.”
Becoming a good swing player takes time.
“With (Will) Svitek and (Quinn) Ojinnaka, it’s taken them two years to be reliable swing guys,” Boudreau said. “We are trying to get everybody up to speed and learn our system.”
Boudreau confirmed that Jose Valdez, who was on the practice squad all last season, has looked impressive.
“He’s a guy who is very athletic when he gets out there and he pulls on our sweeps,” Boudreau said. “He’s very fluid. He’s got nice feet in space.”
Falcons offensive lineman (72) Sam Baker blocks defensive end (98) Jamaal Anderson at the line while running a play. Curtis Compton ccompton@ajc.com
An old-school coach like Boudreau isn’t going to have much good to say about rookies. So Mike Johnson and Hawley just better keep grinding away. They are big, athletic and have been studying hard in the class room.
“It’s been tough on them,” Boudreau said. “They’ve had some good snaps and some bad snaps.”
Sanders does like the fact that the Falcons have addressed their outside issue at cornerback and he likes quarterback Matt Ryan.
“Your quarterback, I think he knows what he’s doing,” Sanders said. “He started off with a great rookie season. Last year was OK. This year I think he’s going to be fine.”
It’s early in training camp, but things look pretty good from the inside-out.
Date, Practice Times (public availability)
Friday, August 6 — Practice 10:15 – 11:55 a.m. (open to the public)
Falcons Allstate All-Access “Friday Night Lights”
Team Scrimmage at North Gwinnett High School – 7:30 p.m. (open to the public)
Saturday, August 7 — Mock Game at Flowery Branch – 12:00 p.m. (open to the public)
Sunday, August 8 — No Practice.
Monday, August 9 — Practice 8:30 – 10:40 a.m. (open to the public); practice 3:45 – 4:40 p.m. (open to the public). COMBINED PRACTICES WITH JACKSONVILLE.
Tuesday, August 10 — Practice 8:30 – 10:40 a.m. (open to the public); practice 3:45 – 5:50 p.m. (open to the public). COMBINED PRACTICES WITH JACKSONVILLE.
Wednesday, August 11 — Practice 8:30 – 10:40 a.m. (closed to the public); practice 3:45 – 4:40 p.m. (closed to the public).
Thursday, August 12 — Practice 8:50 – 10:55 a.m. (closed to the public); practice 5:15 – 6:15 p.m. (closed to the public).
Friday, August 13 — Preseason Week 1 vs. Kansas City 8 p.m.
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128 comments Add your comment
SeenThisB4
August 6th, 2010
12:03 pm
Birdman: It only takes a total of two (2) points to win both games. Two points total, to make you a loser both times. Odd, that both Tampa and Carolina managed to beat the Saints at least once last year. Not the falcants. That makes your team, bottom of the barrel in my eyes. Of course, I do have biased eyes.
SeenThisB4
August 6th, 2010
12:04 pm
Birdman: Ask your head coach how he felt at the end of that game, in fact, at the end of either game.
FalconUGAFan
August 6th, 2010
12:14 pm
@blord I’m with you. I’ ve said it many times in many places. The Saints are SB champs and are the best team in League until the first game. Smack talk is fine, but it gets boring after awhile. I’ll talk football anyday with anyone, but bring some analysis with your smack.
rekingball
August 6th, 2010
12:17 pm
Birdman@11:56am………The score of the first game between the Mighty Falcons and the saints was actually, Officials 14, + saints 21 = 35, the Falcons 27.
It was a giveme to the saints from the NFL.
The NFL has been trying to set the Saints up to win a SuperBowl ever since the hurricane, and the saints finally managed to drag their behinds close enough, for the NFL to give them a SB win.
I hope the saints fans will enjoy it, because many moons will pass before they get another one.
Birdman
August 6th, 2010
12:22 pm
SeenThisB4 with my one eye,
You wanna know why the Bucs and Panthers managed to beat you guys at least once? Because it was towards the end of the season and you guys had laid down and didn’t play like you were playing the entire season. You turds weren’t striving to reach 16-0 so you just laid down and even managed to sit the starters against the Panthers…Gee I wonder how they won? And the Bucs too.
Dude we didn’t even have our starting QB and still gave you guys a fight like hell. Without Drew Brees I doubt you guys would win 5 games.
PMC
August 6th, 2010
12:22 pm
Seen this B4… have you seen Byron Leftwich play? IT takes him an hour to throw the football. His windup is worse than Tim Tebow’s. Your Steelers got smashed last year WITH Rothlisburger. No one fears them at all with Leftwich under center.
Just sayin....
August 6th, 2010
12:23 pm
You can’t look at what happened last year to predict what will happen this year so please stop! So the saints won the two meetings last season great! The games are always close so that doesn’t matter. It will be two competitive games this season and think they will probably split them with both winning at home!
ASHCAN.
August 6th, 2010
12:25 pm
Nobody is afraid of the falcons.Some of you on this blog will be 60 years old and still talking about wait til next year.I noticed every time the falcons make a change at coach the fans get hyper and scream superbowl to only come back down to earth realizing they need another change.Different coaches,same ol falcons.
Birdword
August 6th, 2010
12:36 pm
You seem to be concerned about them or you wouldn’t be here, chuckles.
drmondo
August 6th, 2010
12:38 pm
Has there been any interest in Schoebel now that the Bills let him go?
hiramsaint
August 6th, 2010
12:42 pm
by reading all of these post it is clear that the falcons live in the past and that being what it is makes your future very very dim. the saints on the other hand look to the future which makes our future very very bright. i’m really glad to know the bitterness you are experiencing over the last few years of saints domination over your team. even when you went to the playoffs [and lost quickly] we still you whooped on you. the fact of the matter is we will stomp a mudhole in your butts again this year and you know it. robinson is just the next flunkie that will fall victim to a superior team called the saints
Birdman
August 6th, 2010
12:44 pm
I think you have it backwards Hiramsaint. What kinda name is that? Anyway you guys are the ones living in the past..oh we won the Super Bowl last year! So what? It’s a new season and guess what? We’re gonna kick your ass THIS year! So whose lookin in the past and whose lookin into the future?
GO FALCONS!
Section 108
August 6th, 2010
12:47 pm
26Sept10
waynester
August 6th, 2010
12:50 pm
Saints fans accuse us of living in the past since they don’t want to face facts.
Worst franchises in NFL history:
32 Cardinals
31 SAINTS
30 Houston
29 ATLANTA
The truth is often painful. Saints have won the last 5 out of 6 since 2006, the best run in team history, yet they still trail Atlanta in virtually every statistical category– but ya’ll just keep on bragging– it’d be hilarious if it weren’t so pathetic….
FalconUGAFan
August 6th, 2010
12:57 pm
@hiram bout time you dragged your ugly self to back to the innernet! whats going on…:) Falcons past…do we have a past…..robinson…are you referring to eugene?
33TheBurner33
August 6th, 2010
1:02 pm
SeenthisB4…get hit by a bus….better yet drowned in that oily water
rockinreel
August 6th, 2010
1:04 pm
I’m a falcon all the way, but saying we wouldn’t trade any of our players for the saints players, and some of you saying on paper and on the field our players are better, is a little far fetched. Brees threw for 34 TD’s vs our 22 TD’s, and about a 1000 yards more. White was the best receiver, but NO’s had the next best three. Jenkins was two hundred yards receiving behind the worst Saints starter. RB’s stats weren’t far apart, but ATL’s defense had the edge last year. All I’m saying is, Drew Brees is da MAN! Hopefully Matt Ryan can have a year like that, a Peyton Manning year, then we’ll be serious playoff contenders year after year.
rekingball
August 6th, 2010
1:10 pm
Birdman@12:22……Sorry, but I have to disagree again, I don’t think that the saints laid-down in the @nd half of 2009.
I don’t think that they were really all that good to begin with.
They were really lucky and given a lot of breaks, and they were showing what they were really made of when they were losing those games. Then they got lucky one last time and managed to get through the playoffs with a lot of breaks and get a SB win with a gamble and some more breaks.
rockinreel
August 6th, 2010
1:13 pm
Jenkins had about 100 less receiving yards than NO’s 3rd receiver.
rekingball
August 6th, 2010
1:13 pm
Now we have saints fans claiming to be Falcon fans.
Ezcofalconfan
August 6th, 2010
1:14 pm
Seenthisb4- bottom of the barrel huh… We were second in the division above the two teams you seem a lil to happy about beating yours….get over yourself man it’s a new year you can’t keep living in the past…. You prolly would be the sad little man wearing his 2010 champs shirt an cap in 2013, weeks b4 that season starts lol…
SeenThisB4
August 6th, 2010
1:34 pm
You stop to enjoy a Shrimp Po-boy dressed (with a side of seafood gumbo) and come back to find that everybodys’ posted their worthless two cents worth! I keep forgetting that you bozos have lunch an hour ahead of me.
Yes, yes, yes the Saints were lucky last year. As when Meachem stole the ball back from the redskins defender, that doesn’t happen very often or when the redskins kicker missed wide left on a chip shot 28 yarder, or when we spotted the dolphins 21 points at halftime, and still beat them by 14, or by the 20 plus wins over the giants, patriots, cardinals, lions, bills, and bucs. It wasn’t our fault that the vikings can’t tell how many players they have in the huddle, not our fault that the colts can’t recover an on-side kick, not our fault that the falcants can’t convert a 4th and 2, not our fault that falcants can’t stay healthy.
You guys call it luck and “charity”. We call it a Championship.
GEAUX SAINTS! OUR TIME!!
SeenThisB4
August 6th, 2010
1:39 pm
EzcoFalcantfan: Actually, I’ll be wearing the XLVII Super Bowl Champs t-shirt and cap before that 2013 season starts. And guess what EZ? The 2013 Super Bowl, Dats right, it’s right here in New Orleans!!
GEAUX SAINTS! OUR TIME!!
Mikey
August 6th, 2010
1:50 pm
Seenthis – you remind me of a retarded kid that gets tater tots for lunch…all we hear about are the tater tots for the rest of the day
Your comments on the Falcons are very creative and humorous. Just a shame that all those posts you make lack actual fact and football knowledge. But kuddos for trying kid!! Maybe you can be the next CEO of BP and clean up that mess down there.
And you say we live in the past?!?! LOL!! Hope you enjoyed your SB win, you guys will have bags back over your heads in no time.
Ezcofalconfan
August 6th, 2010
1:55 pm
Hey everybody looks like the saints are going to the 2013 superbowl… It’s in NO so they will be in the stands watching.
rockinreel
August 6th, 2010
1:55 pm
I’m not a Saints fan, I was just trying to be logical and make sense, which none of you seem to be able to do. Nothing but constant smack talking.
DJ Sniper
August 6th, 2010
2:00 pm
While I give Saints fans credit for supporting the team through good and bad times, I do find it funny how one SB wins has some of them talking like the franchise has been a consistent winner since day one. For years, the Saints and Falcons were neck and neck in terms of mediocrity and futility. It’s only been in the past few seasons that both teams have started to look better.
Also, if you really look at it, the Falcons are almost following the same plan that the Saints have. In 2006, Sean Payton and Drew Brees came to the team to rebuild after Hurrican Katrina. They went 10-6, won the division, and went to the NFC Championship came for the first time. They followed that up with back to back 8-8 seasons, then they finally solved their defensive issues last season to win it all. The Falcons new regime of Thomas Dimitroff, Mike Smith, and Matt Ryan came together in 2008 in the wake of the Michael Vick/Bobby Petrino fiascos. In their first season together, they went 11-5 and made it to the playoffs. They stumbled last year and went 9-7. Now comes year 3, which is when they will take another giant step forward.
SeenThisB4
August 6th, 2010
2:12 pm
Ok I can’t take it anymore… I’m really not a girl. I’m a man pretending to be a girl pretending to be a man pretending to be a girl. I do luv the jack rabbit though. I use it daily while dreaming about Brees’ mole.
PS. NOLA is my BFF.
hiramsaint
August 6th, 2010
2:27 pm
Since we’re being honest, I’ll admit I can’t stop saying “fleur de lys” outloud. I just love the way it rolls off my tongue. I wish we were all French!
SeenThisB4
August 6th, 2010
2:35 pm
Mikey: Tater tots for lunch? LOL! Is that some sort of Atlanta delicacy?
Paddy
August 6th, 2010
2:47 pm
Seen this b4…go away little girl.
D. Orlando Ledbetter
August 6th, 2010
3:04 pm
DIDN’T know there were so many Saints fans in Atlanta. Do you all still have the “Aints” paper bags?
SeenThisB4
August 6th, 2010
3:10 pm
We don’t have to wear paper bags any longer, didn’t you hear, we are no longer a huge laughing stock of a failure team. When we start losing again, however, the paper bags will come back out.
I do like making NOLA wear a paper bag though.
GEAUX BIG FURY FACE MOLES!
SeenThisB4
August 6th, 2010
3:34 pm
DOL: It’s called the internet, we’re not in Atlanta, not me anyway. I’m in New Orleans as I type.
Of course, there are some atlanta fans posing as Saints fans ( I’m talking ’bout you Truth). Ironic. I guess they wish they were someone else.
GEAUX SAINTS! OUR TIME!!
waynester
August 6th, 2010
3:34 pm
DJSniper
I hear you loud and clear. All 4 NFCSouth teams are among the historically lowest ranked NFL franchises. Carolina ranks #22, Tampa(would have been worst if not for their SB win) ranked #27, ATLANTA #29 and NO next to last at #31 all-time, even with their SB win. There are no bragging rights in our division, only a huge black mark that we’re just now beginning to erase….
NOLA
August 6th, 2010
3:38 pm
Whoa, imposters galore!
I can vouch for the guy using “GEAUX…”, however he is definitely NOT my BFF.
SeenThisB4
August 6th, 2010
3:49 pm
waynester
First of all, the Saints are the greatest team of all time & Brees is the greatest QB of all time.
And B, the Falcants are #33 all-time.
Now eat that face mole why dontcha… BURN!
GEAUX NO GEAUX!
Birdword
August 6th, 2010
3:50 pm
All time the saints have been losers to the Falcons
Birdword
August 6th, 2010
3:53 pm
Yes, yes, yes the Saints were lucky last year. And Brees is short.
SeenThisB4
August 6th, 2010
4:00 pm
Luck is 90% chance and 10% preperation! Were we lucky the year before when we went 8-8? No, otherwise we would have gone 13-3.
And Brees isn’t short, he’s 6′0″.
I luv making you Falcants look dumb.
GEAUX SAINTS! OUR TIME WAS LAST YEAR!!
DJ Sniper
August 6th, 2010
4:12 pm
Brees is short for a QB, but so far, his height hasn’t stopped him from being successful. And please tell me you weren’t sober when you said that the Saints and Brees were the best team and QB of all time.
SeenThisB4
August 6th, 2010
4:20 pm
LOL, like it’s not obvious I do massive amounts of drugs.
L.A. Mont
August 6th, 2010
4:24 pm
Coming from Huntsville, AL makes it tough to make the preseason games during the week. I’ll probably miss both games. Fortunately, the New England game is on FOX, so we’ll get a chance to watch it on the national stage.
NOLA
August 6th, 2010
4:27 pm
I can vouch for that too. In fact, we’re sitting here together in my bedroom on my bed getting really high as we speak.
Birdword
August 6th, 2010
4:27 pm
I guess I hit a nerve there. Sorry about that. Should have said your qb is “not tall”. But your Saints have come up short against the Falcons 45 times.
SeenThisB4
August 6th, 2010
4:29 pm
GEAUX NOLA IT’S YER BIRFDAY!
thejama
August 6th, 2010
4:46 pm
The AINTS were lukcy in that they didn’t lose key players to injury. Doubt they could have a winning season if Brees, Thomas, Bush, etc. had missed extensive time injured. The fact is that the Falcons did lose their starting QB, RB, #2RB, starting corner, DT, etc. and still managed to have a winning season. I like our chances because we had so many rookies and backup sget extended playing time last year. The Saints are built like the COlts…its all about the QB and if Brees goes down it will be a return to the cellar they are so accustomed.
Sick & Tired Of Being Sick & Tired
August 6th, 2010
5:13 pm
Glad to see that the defense is looking good!!! including Jamal Anderson….
Don’t get caught up in the hype from the NO Saints fans…..here’s why
NO Saints records:
2009 13-3
2008 8-8
2007 7-9
2006 10-6
2005 3-13
2004 8-8
2003 8-8
2002 9-7
2001 7-9
From the team’s inception:
More than a decade before having a .500 season
Took 2 decades before having a winning season
Took 4 decades before reaching the Super Bowl…..not exactly a perenial powerhouse as you can see!!!!! GO FALCONS!!!!!
rekingball
August 6th, 2010
6:31 pm
DJ Sniper@2:00pm……..I can’t give the saints fans credo for sticking with the saints through thick and thin, because they haven’t stuck with the saints through the thin.
As I recall, the saints owner was getting ready to move out of N.O. before the hurricane, due to lack of support from the saints fans.
He still wanted to after the hurricane, but didn’t, due to the bad publicity that the move would have brought(he probably was prohibited from moving by the NFL, in all likelyhood).
Bandwagon riders, by the end of this season, most of the “saints fans” will be long gone.
Ken Strickland
August 6th, 2010
8:06 pm
The Steelers OL gave up 50 sacks last yr, and that was with Big Ben starting. Now some delusional AINTS fan actually expects the same Steeler OL to fair better protecting BLeftwich, who’s one of the NFL’s slowest, least mobile and least athletic QB’s. Do I have to mention that his delivery is also one of the slowest among NFL QB’s. We had him here as a starter, and his constant overthrows, when pressured, created more souvenirs for our fans than completions for our WR’s.